Haus of GaGa

Lalala.. Ok, I have a confession to make. I've LOVED Britney Spears my entire existence, until Sunday. I was lucky enough to get tickets to Britney Spear's free concert at Bill Gram Civic Auditorium in San Francisco for her Good Morning America taping. What a disappointment. Home girl doesn't sing live, (duh, she never did) barely dances and has no life to her. She's a puppet, almost a zombie. She's lost her performance gene. Her album on the other hand is phenomenal! It's a dance album with decent beats and catchy lyrics. It brings out the young teenager or the club goer in me. Performance, not so much. Maybe this youtube video will help you understand.. not to mention the editing here is horrible in my opinion. 

From seeing Lady Gaga perform just last week, Brit Brit isn't even close to the power house that is Lady Gaga. Gaga has heart, ambition, attitude, she sings all her song live (she makes a point to tell everyone this during the concert) and most importantly, she WANTS to be there. Britney, I love you, but you've lost it. I'm sorry. Regardless, the photo above is from my "pre-party" Monster Ball pictures. Just to show my dedication to my girl Gaga and brit I still love you, but not as much. I went off on a tangent, my bad. 

Defending World Champs SF Giants Opening Day

Black Orange and Cream

Congrats San Francisco Giants! You are our defending world champs! The entire city is routing you on, you have a power house behind you. There ain't no stoppin us now baby! I wish you the best for this season and am looking forward to attending a few games. Happy Opening Day SF Giants, BEAT LA!

In honor of today, here's a beyond amazing rendition of Don't Stop Believin' - Giants style. Go Team Go!!

Some Things Never Change

AHH! I was lagging. I was sick these past few days and completely neglected my blog. I apologize, but it’s hard to get your head straight and organized when you are feeling under the weather. Wouldn’t you agree?

Any who, I’m back! And today I’m back to sharing some of the old photos that I found at my parent’s house.  Isn’t this one a gem? I’m sure there are cars somewhat like this in other cities, but doesn’t this just scream San Francisco in the 1970s! It does to me. I’m pretty sure this car still exists, probably not in the same condition, but I’ve seen something like this rolling around the city.

A Whole Lotta Rosie

Rosie cheeks that is. :)

GaGa Oh LaLa

The Lady Gaga concert that I attended in Oakland on Tuesday was to die for! Spectacular show! I danced and sang my little monster heart out. I even have the bruises on my knees (from jumping up and down and banging my knees on the seat in front of me) to prove it. One tiny confession, a few months ago I went to her concert at the Bill Gram Civic Auditorium in San Francisco and I’ll say that show was a little better than her Monster Ball production. It was more intimate and she sang way more songs, played the piano more and had a little more audience interaction. Still, Tuesday’s performance was beyond words. Gaga made me laugh, cry, sing and dance.

Above are a few of the “getting ready” photos my friends and I took before the show. We decided not to go over the top with our outfits, so we went all out with the rhinestones on our faces. Totally Fierce. I didn’t bring my camera with me because the tickets specifically said not to bring any cameras, I should have known better but I didn’t want them to take away my camera. Here are a few of the photos I snapped with my camera phone.



Waiting for the show to start!

Hard to see, but the chick had an awesome skirt on.



Gives you a feel for how many people were there.

Thanks GaGa!! I'm looking forward to the next show in the Bay Area!

Girl About Town

Ohhh Brenda Wenda

Brenda and I met about 5 years ago while working at a little store called Gap. It turns out we had a mutual friend and were both starting at the same college in the fall. We ended up working at that store for about 3 years and finished out college together. We've been friends since our first interview at the Gap and a lot has changed since then (in a good way). We've grown up quite a lot, graduated college, gotten real jobs and started blogs! Brenda is pretty new to the blog scene, check her out! She focuses on her two loves, fashion and the San Francisco Giants. Home girl is a HUGE fan and has been since birth. Lets just say you couldn’t have a happier fan right now.


Thanks Brenda for being my model and for always being my blog editor! I can't spell for my life and my grammar is pretty questionable.  I don’t know where I would be if Brenda didn't help me out!  Also, today is kind of a historic day. Brenda, Kayla and I will be attending the Lady Gaga concert tonight! So, in honor of her Fab Majesty, here is a little preview of what I’m expecting tonight. Sheer amazingness. sdfjksdfkjs;fkb words can not describe the excitement. 

Where I Come From

It really has been a blast looking at old photos. I still have a lot more to come, but today I'm going to focus on my fathers side of the family. The photo above is my great grandparents Anna and Jan. They gave birth to Marie, the beautiful young woman in the following set of photos. Marie married Vaclav (pictured next to Marie) and they had my dad Joe and his brother (also named)Vaclav, which are pictured in the last set of photos. 

For me, this is a long line of family history. It seems like throughout the years a lot of photos have not been kept, or have been spread out to different family members. My parents left their home countries in their early twenties, so a lot of left behind. 

Again, this set of photos is of my dad and his younger brother Vaclav. Unfortunately, I was never given the opportunity to meet either Vaclav. My grandfather died in his early 50s and my uncle died when he was 40, both of heart attacks. Clearly heart attacks run in my family, my father had a heart attack in his early 60s and was thankfully given a second chance at life. He's changed his diet and began a cardio routine to stay active. One day I want to be able to meet my grandchildren. For me this means staying active. Heart attacks run on my fathers side of the family and diabetes run in my mothers. eek. I look forward to the day that I can show there photos to my children and grandchildren. Thank you parents for holding on to these memories. 

Flickr Friday: Coffee made with Love

Coffee made with Love, originally uploaded by Karen Tjøstelsdatter.

It's not a surprise that I, like many people, love coffee. I don't know where I would be without a cup of coffee every morning. You could say that it has become an addiction, but I think of it more as a necessity. It brings energy to my day every morning and on nights when I don’t sleep well I go for that second cup to reenergize. I actually read an article the other day that women should drink two cups of coffee a day to help prevents strokes. I’m sure there are so many more benefits to drinking coffee on a regular basis. Not only does it taste like heaven, but it brings people together. How many times have you asked a friend, “Wanna grab a cup of coffee and catch up?” It happens all the time. Thank you for being part of my day coffee.

What a Stud

My mother likes to go on and on about how handsome her father was, what great hair he had and how all the women loved him. Long story short, he was a natural ladies man (at least according to his daughter). By looking at this photo can you guess which one he was? If you guessed one of the fellas with the big ears standing on the side, you are incorrect my friend.  If you guessed the handsome stud in the middle you're correct! The man sitting and taming that beautiful beast is indeed my grandfather. Good hair right? Why didn't I inherit any of those genes? I sure know where I got my forehead from.. 

On a side note, I HATE to make this comparison, but doesn't the hair remind you of Pauly D from the Jersey shore? Ugh, I can't believe I just said that out loud. My mother would kill me. 

European Lifestyle

Everything about this photo SCREAMS Europe to me. Come on now, Five grannies in their undergarments and headwraps. Most, if not all, of them wearing socks with sandals or flats... this is the stuff that movies are made out of! I happened to stumble upon this beauty in a box of old photos. These aren't five random women from the Czech Republic, the woman all the way to the right of the photo is my grandmother (my dad's side of the family). Wasn't she a cutie? I'm thankful that I got to meet her before she passed. The one memory that I have with my grandmother is helping (more like watching) her bake a HUGE apple pie. I was probably only about 9 or 10 years old but it was pretty fun. It's also a coincidence to me that she happens to be holding an apple in this photo.  Maybe this is where I get my baking skills from? I know that she is for sure where I get my curves!

Natural Beauty

This past weekend I went to my parents’ house and found a TON of old photos. This is just one of many photos I found of my mom. Doesn't she look great? Needless to say, my mother was a babe, well what I mean is, my mother IS a babe (she would kill me if I said any different). I don’t know when, where or why this photo was taken, but she looks so angelic. It’s not posed or forced, it just is. The expression on her face really captures her youth. She will correct me if I’m wrong, but this photo was taken in Poland when she was in her late teens/early twenties. I’m lucky to have such a beautiful mama. Not only is she a beauty, but she's stylish too!

Now, let’s talks about this outfit. It’s amazing! I believe this photo is from the 80s but to me this outfit is still completely relevant. Everything goes and the belt is to die for. It really completes the look. My mom has been stylish her entire life, and still is to this day. Looking at this photo is kinda sorta making me want to recreate this ensemble.  

Birthday Cupcakes

This past Thursday it was my friend Kayla’s Birthday. We celebrated on Sunday night and had a delicious dinner at Nirvana. Her birthday present from me was, of course, cupcakes! Now, (hahahaha), what does this look like to you? I got a monster, dragon, bear, etc.. but no one guessed what it really was supposed to be. It’s a pink dinosaur! I guess if it was green it would have been easier to tell, but that’s ok, pink is Kayla’s favorite color. I still think it turned out great. Pink Monster works just fine for me. What it comes down to is that Kayla loved them and they were her favorite, funfetti!  Do you see that it’s a dinosaur? I guess I could have decorated it a little better, but it gets the job done.

Born to be Fab

In this photo, staring with the top row, my aunt, my grandmother and my mom. Bottom level is my cousin, me and my older sister. 

This past week I started a journey finding/looking/discovering old photographs that my parents have stuffed in boxes. Believe it or not, I've NEVER seen a photo of myself younger then 18-24 months. I came across this photo and was blown away. I mean, I don't want to brag, but to you see that cute baby in the middle? Wearing the pink one piece? Yes, that's me. I must have only been a few months old but quite possibly the cutest baby ever. Ok, I'll stop bragging now, but considering this is the first time i've seen myself this young, I think I have the right.

Any who, There are several other things that drew me to this photo, the furniture, clothing and overall theme to the room. Boy oh boy how things have changed. This is also of of the few photos that I have with all three generations. My grandmother lives in Poland and needless to say, we don't see her that often. When I was a baby she came over to the US once or twice, and I've been to Poland about 3 times, but I haven't been in years. There are the memories that are great to capture in photographs, so thank you to whomever took this photo many many years ago. It's created a great memory for me. 

I've been feeling nostalgic lately, so expect a lot more old photos to come. 

Flickr Friday: Twin Peaks Through A Pentacon Film Camera

Twin Peaks Through A Pentacon Film Camera, originally uploaded by Troy Holden.

One of my favorite SF photographers. He always does amazing work. This photo is beyond words to me.

Boom Boom POW

Kayla's her name and she's darn proud of it! Kayla probably only owns things with her name on it. No lies. Her Kayla ring, necklace, notebook, pencil... The girl's got pride. 

A Very Merry Happy Birthday to Kayla

Click here to view on Flickr

Today my friend Kayla turns 23 years young. Well, according to her facebook invite she is really turning "21 the trilogy" or something of the sort. In honor of her big 21+2 I thought it would be appropriate to share her photo booth session! I think it turned out amazing and Kayla was a great model. More photo booths to come soon!

Happy Birthday Kayla! I'm excited for 21+3! 

Flickr Friday: the decision

the decision, originally uploaded by Ąиđч.

Yesterday I discussed how music can turn a bad day around or inspire you to turn something negative into something positive. I was browsing Flickr and came across this photo. Now, records aren’t exactly the desired form in which we listen to our music nowadays, but this photo represents (to me) how promising a new record/album/song can be. I know I’m almost too young to remember the days of actual music stores and CD’s/records/cassettes, but there was always a thrill about walking into a store, not knowing what you will find and falling in love with a new artist or song.

Records remind me of having an all-around good time. Some of my favorite family moments are when we listen to old records with playing cards together. There is something about records that bring people together.

feel good, be good and do good

Something that has always made me feel good is music. One little thing can go wrong during the day and it’s all turned around with a song. I’m a SUCKER for classic rock, so if I’m feeling down or uninspired I’ll listen to Journey’s, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” For the record, I know this song is totally over played but I could care less. It’s my jam. You want proof? In high school my friends and I used to drive in my convertible (top town of course) blasting and screaming the lyrics to “Don’t Stop Believin’.” More proof? The lyrics, “don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feelin’” are forever embedded in my senior yearbook under my picture. That’s dedication my friend.

Anyways, music is a real ‘pick me up’ for me, I’m sure it is for you too. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Adele. The Adele station on Pandora is on point! It’s made me re-fall in love with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin. My iPod is now filled with these artists (and many like them). The songs are so pure of heart and honest. No cussing and no bashing. They are mostly positive and upbeat. The artists weren’t trying to be someone they weren’t.  They certainly didn’t need to wear dresses made out of meat to be noticed (don’t get me wrong I love lady Gaga). Old school music just has so much more depth to it. The song that I am currently stuck on is Aretha’s, “Sisters are going it for themselves.” Maybe I’ve watched “The First Wives Club” one too many times in my life, but this song is original girl power. Ladies, if you are ever feeling down and out, give this a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

Our Thoughts are Forming the World

Photo by Lola Rain

Feeling lack of inspiration, I’ve been given the advice to find my “blog voice” and topics. I’ve been really focused on my photography, and when I have no new photos to blog about, I don’t blog. It’s a struggle for me because I’ve always felt like I wasn’t the strongest writer. My spelling is atrocious and my grammar is questionable, but I’ve come to the realization that I’m not getting graded for my work. Sure, people are going to judge what I write about or how I write it, but at the end of the day I give myself a grade.  I’m judging myself! This brings me to the something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately…

We are what we think. We attract things to ourselves by the way that we think. If I think I’m a bad writer, I’m going to be a bad writer. Another example,  If you think you aren’t going to find parking in a busy area, guess what, you won’t. If you have a positive attitude about parking and one the  drive over there, guess what, you’ll find the parking spot you want. I told my friend Ryan to so this last week and guess what, he got the parking he wanted!

I’m slowly becoming a firm believer that you are what you think.  You attack positive or negative energy towards you by the way that you think. If you believe that you are going to become an artist, broker, fashion designer or a millionaire, it will happen. It could happen in 10 minutes or 5 years. You just have to believe it. This leads me to finding out what I want. I guess you could say that I’m not really sure yet.  It’s hard to focus on positive thoughts when you don’t know what you are striving for. As of this moment, I’m still trying to figure that out so I can start walking down the right path.  I know that I want to start on more photo projects and take more mini vacations, but I want to think more long term.

What are you goals? What keeps you positive?