Emily August

Since Rory + I traveled on vacation to Europe, we are enjoying a slow August that is busy with personal travel and preparing for Fall 2009 with a fervor. Stay tuned to this space, because we’ve got big plans! For instance, I’m hoping to donate some photography time to the Willie Mae Girls Rock camp next week, if my work schedule allows. Watch for Etsy Shop updates, web publications, vacation photos, and news items from yours truly.

In the meantime I hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Thank you for visiting my new web site!  We are working behind the scenes right now.  Please comment below if you have any questions about Emily August Photography, or Emily August Etsy.  Thanks for visiting!

So, our amazing roommate, Allison recently went to a similar transition to me, quitting her daytime admin gig to pursue things that more closely resemble her calling in life. Its a bit scary, but definitely really cool to have someone so close to home going through similar struggles (OMG how do you buy yr own health insurance and other scary stories to tell in the dark).

She’s been playing hard to get with various jobs that came her way, holding out for just the right mix of business and pleasure, and by pleasure, in Al’s case, its usually food-related. She bakes, she woks, she chops and stirs like no one else I know. In fact, she and I used to both work at the now-defunct Down to Earth vegan restaurant in Red Bank, NJ, and she’s worked at other delectable destinations like the Bent Spoon in Princeton, NJ, and more recently an upscale coffee bar in the village (right near where my new boss has her home office! Its too perfect!).

Through her gallant display of patience, she’s scoured job sites for hours and hours and picked up a few really neat gigs that would leave you drooling if I told you all about them. For privacy’s sake, I won’t, but I want to share this link to one of her first blog posts on Serious Eats New York!

I love this because its so very much up her alley, and its been so neat to see her going through a similar transition to me and end up in such a unique space: posting about a ricotta-making workshop for a major food blog. This is something I could never dream of doing myself, but something that makes me really proud and excited for her. A year ago, neither of us would have guessed where would be right now, and, though all three of us can guess that we love our neighborhood too much to leave any time soon, we have no idea what’s going to happen over the course of the next year (and the next and the next…)

Seriously cool.

Special Announcement
So, Mother’s Day was super fun and fulfilling this year, but I’ll get to that in minute. First, I’d like to announce that I’ve signed on to volunteer at the Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City, right near the Liberty Science Center (just a short bike ride from our apartment). I am officially taking a position as their new Web Photographer, so I get to visit once a week, photograph the new animals that have come in, and write their descriptions for Petfinder. I can think of no other position that would suit me so well, and I can’t wait to get started, the week after Rory’s graduation. I’m sure you’ll start to see more animal portraits on my flickr page from now on. They are also hosting a few big events this summer, and planning some pretty amazing video shoots that I get to help with as everything comes together.

gratuitous ruby shot.

They also gave me permission to host a benefit show in town, which I’ll have to get to work on soon! Luckily I’ve run into Ryan Doyle enough times recently to recruit him into ganging up on Kevin Huelbig to come and play at the show! Expect more news soon.

Willie Mae
Willie Mae Rock Camp has also asked me back as a photographer for their summer camp, and they are currently looking for volunteers. The deadline to sign up to help is May 16th. Registration is still open for the Ladies Rock Camp.

my beautiful mother and older sisters,
from a few months ago.

Mother’s Day Weekend
This weekend A bunch of my siblings and I converged on my parents’ house in Bricktown, and spent Saturday afternoon unloading trucks of food for homeless people in Ocean County, New Jersey. My parents’ church is really awesome because they do a lot to help the community and they are really faithful when it comes to helping others and sharing their message through hard work and sacrifice so that others’ needs can be met. Here is their mission statement. If you are someone who claims to love God, I feel like this is the kind of church you need to be a part of. I was so impressed. I also felt very much at home when I attended their service on Sunday. My guess is that I’ll be back.

More info on the Ministry
The OCC Food Pantry Distribution – takes place the last Saturday of the month at 9am in the Parish House. For more information, please contact Tom LeBert at 732-240-2529

Jacob’s Well – Items needed and distributed

2nd Sunday of Every Month:
Manna Meals/Soup Kitchen – 4:00PM in the Parish House

Please let me know if you are in the area and want to donate or lend a hand. They help a ridiculous amount of people on a weekly basis, and I think I am in love with every single person at that church.

By the way, lifting heavy bags of canned goods is torture for the back muscles, but does wonders for your soul. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND HELP PEOPLE.

photo via Leah’s flickr.

Just a quick note to point out Leah’s comment linking me to her post: Hyena In Petticoats: Cathedral Window Quilt Tutorial. I am still enamored with this design, and the tutorial sounds like the quilt might actually be easy for me to do. I wonder if I’m putting my foot in my mouth on that one.

Thanks, Leah! Be sure to check out Hyena in Petticoats for more great stuff.

I have been unforgiveably lazy on all fronts this week, and also non-responsive, socially.

Last night I did make a very cute dress from a muu muu, but I had neither the time nor the will to photograph it. I have to travel home (down the shore) for a few days (two funerals, now), so I will likely be non-responsive. I have to upload a bunch of things to my ETSY shop next week, and I have a long list of projects to pursue in clothing, handbags, zines, and eventually music and events. I have to get back on track or it will be June and I will be saying the same things over and over again.

Meanwhile I can point you somwhere else for diversion. My roommate Allison has started blogging about her commuting experiences in a new blog called boring commute. Its also clickable in my list of blogs on the righthand navigation panel, which, you may note, I enjoy sorting by length of blog title. Check it out and get a taste of life in the underground wilds between NY and NJ!

Oh! And I also received an amazing item in the mail from a seller on ETSY, so stay tuned to hear about that one next week.

• Lost a close friend’s father this week. This floored me.
• Ruby cat’s been sick. She keeps being weird, which is normal for her, but its very hard to tell if she’s well!
• Finished a huge project today. So happy about it.
• I realized that my creative process involves making the biggest mess possible and then spending three hours cleaning up afterward.
• Been dieting — successfully!
• Been writing not-online for a few projects on my radar.
• I realized last night that I would be capable of getting into a real, down and dirty, physical fist fight with someone if provoked.
• Same old, same old, otherwise

Working on a secret project today! I can’t talk about it. It involves measurements. And personal style.

Didn’t get too many things done this long weekend, but I did get pretty organized on some stuff. Also watched some horrible (I mean amazing) movies with Rory, and a few episodes of INTERVENTION on A&E, which I almost always have to watch if it comes on. I don’t think either of us has left the apartment once, except to take out the trash and buy falafel down at Ibby’s!

Also, Ruby was sick and it broke my heart.

I didn’t get as many things done this weekend as I was planning. This is likely due to the fact that Elle and I went to a party in Jersey City on Friday night, and then I hosted a big get together for my sisters, and babysat Saturday night. The rest of the time I spent working on some of the work I brought home from school, and going through my paperwork and files with a fine tooth comb and a shredder. I am only about halfway done doing that, but it feels good to at least have shredded so many unncessary items so far. I actually didn’t even get dressed this morning and am still in my pajamas as I type this.

Just a side effect of switching jobs and moving forward in life. I absolutely hate doing paperwork and always leave it until it becomes a monster pile. Then I use my own guilt to get myself motivated to clean up the space, and usually end up drinking a lot of coffee or eating bits of chocolate to make it through in one piece.

At least now we are officially now hooked up with a proper work room. This is a shot of our work table, complete with cutting mats from Rory’s parents that will make cutting fabric and paper a lot easier with a rotary blade. The table was custom built by Rory’s dad to fit our space. You can see our records and tupperware drawers full of electronics and craft supplies, plus my stereo below. One of Rory’s turntables is also up on top.

I wish I had another day to keep working on reducing my paperwork down, because I’m starting to feel like I’m on a roll. I also am kind of feeling under the weather, and dreading the snow forecast. I would love to stay in tomorrow, and work on some sewing or put more of my things up for sale online. Next week I’ll have a three-day weekend, so I hope I have the chance then. My inner asthmatic is dreading the cold air threatening to give me bronchitis, and my inner lazy bones want to stay in my pajamas for five days straight.

Based on a recommendation from a friend, I decided to upload my songs into an online music shop called SNOCAP. Its now available on my exploding august myspace page, or here:

Let me know if you have any questions.

Rory just found Ruby in the drawer of my sewing table in our bedroom. Its the kind of moment when you are glad to have a digital camera nearby. I know she kind of looks evil here, but she was purring.

She’s laying underneath a pile of clothing that I am ripping into and sewing up later. I also have a bunch of things to put up on eBay and etsy today.

I got completely spoiled this Christmas. I received the most amazing gifts, all perfectly tuned to my tastes and overflowing with amazing design, color, comfort, and function. I was feeling kind of overwhelmed by the first half of Christmas when I arrived home Christmas Eve to find that I had forgotten every single gift to give my family members up north in Rory’s basement, an hour and a half away from my parents’ house. After realizing that I had nothing to give anyone in return, I burst out crying. My emotional outburst totally took my by surprise, but I was genuinely mortified and upset about leaving the presents behind.

Shortly after my discovery of the missing presents, my older sister Janine dropped her husband’s laptop on her foot and broke her toe! Suddenly I realized that the gifts weren’t that important.

Thankfully, my sister Sarah and her boyfriend (oh wait, I mean fiance!) were up in North Jersey near his family, which happened to be near to where Rory’s parents’ live, and they met somewhere on a local road to pick up the gifts before heading home. I know it was kind of out of their way, and they were already so late in leaving that they didn’t end up getting to my parents’ house until well after 2AM. So, thank you Sarah and George.

The fact that I cried so hard about the presents made me realize, however, that I really value giving gifts as an emotional expression. I was looking forward to giving these gifts for weeks before the holiday, wrapping them carefully in recycled maps (they looked awesome), and choosing each piece carefully… I guess that giving gifts is one of my favorite things to do.

Who knew?

We had a holiday party last night in our apartment. It was a bit odd, since half the bands and half of our friends canceled at the last minute (valid reasons withstanding). Kevin still played as snowstorm, and we still had a good time. Kevin’s new songs are really good, and his album should be done soon. Will likely be having more shows of this mellow caliber in the future.

Best thing of all was definitely having a friend come from Pennyslvania and stay the night. We spent the morning, hungover just a bit, exploring the neighborhood and getting some food at the diner nearby. It was really incredible and satisfying. Worth all of the frustrations of getting this show together in the first place.

I miss the old days, but I concede the new days leave us better off in the end.

We used lights someone else threw away, a potted fir gifted to us by Rory’s mom, and whatever we had lying around to make the apartment feel more Christmas-y today. I am mostly through with wrapping presents, but am baffled by a few small trinkets I bought. To Whom on Earth had I intended to give these things?

Spent the day at my aunt and uncle’s house, then came home to wrap presents and watch Helvetica with Rory. Also bought myself a pretty expensive gift today: a year at the gym that just opened around the corner from our apartment. I feel a little weird spending money on myself in such a big way, especially when I’m on task to pay off my credit cards (completely!) this year, but I don’t want to emerge on the other side of my debt mountain and feel like I could have been losing some weight and taking care of myself in the meantime. At least I didn’t use my credit card to pay for the gym membership.

I feel like my life is about to get overly crazy with Holiday, craft, and work things. Pieces of every obligation that I have are flying in different directions. I keep dreaming that all of my responsibilites are flying around my head like Legend of Zelda fairies, and I’m meant to jump up, grab them, and get them back into their little jars, but its just nearly impossible. And just when I think I’ve had enough, one of the fairies will revive me and I’m still stuck where I was weeks ago. Sorry, maybe you didn’t know that I was an ultra-nerd.

Anyway, part of the reason is probably due to Rory being in the same boat and finishing all of his finals at break-neck speed. I barely see him and when I do, we are both exhausted. We have a date planned for tonight to alleviate this crossed-path syndrome… then I’m off to my parents’ to see my sister who is up from Florida… and then I’ll be back at work again for the craziest week since I started (I am so scared).

One thing that is helping is the very slight amount of exercise that I’ve done this week has given me a tad bit of energy. I know that if I keep going with that goal (and by going, I mean s l o w l y working up to exercising and eating healthy all week long), then things will only improve. Okay, enough dwelling on that.

My one saving grace is that I have a week off for Christmas/Winter break. That is my finish line, so to speak. I hope to cross the line triumphantly, but we shall see. Allison and I cooked up plans to throw a Holiday Party during the break, and we’ve selected a Marc Jacobs theme. I have no idea what we mean by this, but we’ll run with it and it will be amazing.

Rory and I performed last night at EXIT ART, as part of a class project for ITP at NYU. You can actually view some of the video of the perfomances here:

http://www.menscher.com/blog/2007/12/14/fall-2007-nime-algorithmic-composition-show/

The piece I performed in was Lesley Flanigan’s Speaker Synth Choir. The video is not inclusive of the bulk of the piece, but only the initial set up of the instrument (the first movement, if you will, which is simply getting the speaker synth to do its thing). I’m disappointed not to see the rest of it, because we had no monitors set up and we could not hear anything that was going on with all the layers that Lesley built into the performance. Rory said he’s going to try and ask for the original video files, which would have the singing parts as well.

From the link above you can also view Rory’s “Canon in Robot Major”. The video gives you a pretty good idea of what Rory’s performance sounded sounded like. In the performance space, the instrument resonated more and filled the room.

Okay, weekend. Let’s go!

So, my music project exploding august has been out on Monotone Records for awhile, and you can buy the EP in my Etsy shop. I also help my exboyfriend Kevin with his band snowstorm, sometimes, which I enjoy immensely. Both of these projects are kind of moody in their own ways, and we each get a sense of satisfaction from coercing a lot of emotion out of lyrics, song structures, and recording styles.

yay fun.

Well, every once in a while we write songs that don’t fit either of our music projects. Usually because someone has commissioned something from us, or there is an event coming up, we will just be in a different mood entirely. The songs are generally sillier, and very much of an indiepop aesthetic. (And–if I am playing drums, the rhythm will be really horrible and funny.)

For these songs we go by Wax Museums, and I just got around to putting one teeny little song up on myspace. Its a cover of a song by Say Hi To Your Mom, which we recorded because of an audition I was doing for SHTYM that never worked out. Anyway, now you can check out Wax Museums on MySpace! We have a few other songs that I will hopefully get from Kevin to put up soon. Most notably a song written for Chris and Arianne of indiepages, and at least one song written about at least one ex-relationship by each of us. Ch-ch-check it out and enjoy!