Addicted to Vignettes ...and Filters

One of my favorite things to do is putter about my apartment. I especially love rearranging my vases. I dream of having my own little boutique where I could putter to my heart's content. I was particularly pleased with the vignette I created today with two of my favorites: my moon lamp from CB2 and a graceful vintage Japanese vase.

Of course, upon completing a successful vignette, I feel the need to document it. Odd, right? But the technology allows us to take part in photographic experiments we never thought possible. So many filters are available, it's hard to choose. And these days, everyone's a photographer.

This filter is called Faded Glow on the Snapseed app. It's my current favorite. It creates moody pictures, and is perfect for rainy day shots (see a couple examples here).  What about you, dear readers? What's your favorite filter?

My BFF Got Married ...or... Another Facebook and eHarmony Miracle!

Dear readers, here is another Facebook miracle.  As you know, I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, but right now it's tipping more toward the love side.  Ahhh to be a Libra.  It's all about balance.

Anyhoo, my pal Elena and I were friends in high school and were in marching band together. My family moved in high school and eventually we lost touch. Some 30 years later, we are reconnected and it is like no time has passed. She's still the sweet, funny, patient, great listener she always was. She's smart, she's supportive and cute. Well, she's as close as you get to perfect.

She got married Saturday. It was one of those spectacular days that are too few and far between. It was all about love.

I was thrilled to do the bride's makeup. That's something I've always wanted to do. Can you believe, I've never been a bridesmaid? I've never helped a bride primp. This was a moment I savored. Elena felt like my life size Barbie doll.  What a day for my camera to poop out! I apologize for the poor lighting, I had to use my Android, but I made the best of it, so I thought I'd go with a Fall motif to make it look intentional. I don't think anyone's fooled though! :)

Here's the story of Elena and Eric's Wedding, 9/13/14

Before. We all were giddy helping Elena get ready and she was adorably nervous.

Had a hard time getting her to hold still, lol.  But here is the finished make up, she wanted a fresh look.

I also got to help style her hair, headpiece and jewelry.  So fun.

Her chic and stylish mother helped too! I did her makeup as well. What an honor! Look at that pose! She looks like The Grande Dame of Haute Couture And dig that cape. I tried to steal it from her, but my plans were foiled.

Beautiful and delicious chocolate cake.

The yard looked romantic and inviting.

Princess Obie, the ring bearer, greeter and official eater.

Elena thinks of everything! Insect repellent and sunblock.

My seat! I was treated like a VIP. How cool is that?

Photo by Peggy

Photo by Lona Gless

Eric catches his first glimpse of his beautiful bride. Even now, I want to cry looking at these pictures. It really doesn't need description - it's all there in his eyes. It's love. I love seeing the different angles from different photographers.

Oh gosh, I'm goner in like two seconds. Sitting in the front row, sobbing. And I do mean sobbing. Not dainty little tears you can dab at with a cute hanky. Nope. Sobs. Thank goodness for my big ass sunglasses.

Photo by Lona Gless

Cooper, the best man.

It's all about love.

Photo by Lona Gless

Elena finally tears up, even though she tried not to. I wish I had taken this picture! Lona perfectly catches the love in her eyes. Elena looks stunningly beautiful, I am so proud of my styling. Again, it's all about love.

First dance as a married couple.

Elena's post/wedding reception outfit was to die for!  I love that she's still wearing her head piece. Love the pashmina which was loaned to her by Lona Gless (of the above marked photos). Apparently Lona has style. And will you look at Elena's swag. The pashmina is paired with a flower so she can be carefree and not worry about it falling off. Combined with the boots and jeans you have the perfect mix of hard and soft.

Dirty dancing! Yes Elena and Eric have mojo to spare. This was such an emotional day for me, Elena and I had been so boy crazy in high school.  All I wanted was a boyfriend, and I couldn't seem to find one. We used to dream of one day being loved and looked at the way Eric looks at her. As I watched from my seat I thought, "Huh, she did it." She had found what we dreamed about - some 30 years later, and through the miracle of Facebook I got to see it!

P.S.  The happy couple met on eHarmony and they highly recommend it!


All photos by Peggy, except where noted.  No photo to be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the editor of Creative Influence.

Denver, Part One: It's all about love

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA


Hi my loves!  As you know, I went on vacation to Denver, Colorado almost two weeks ago. Hardly seems possible that much time has passed, I am still processing all that I learned and saw. Denver has implanted itself deeply in my heart. Denver is a city engaging in an important experiment, one that I would like to see succeed. Upon my return, I got lots of questions about whether I smoked weed (of course, I did), but that's not really the point. I wanted to be a part of history, part of a cultural movement if you will. I'm too young to have been a hippy, but now I'm getting a chance. I've always wanted to go to Amsterdam, but now I don't have to. This is why travel is so important - my perspective on absolutely everything has changed. And it's all good. I'm feeling no pain and I'm not worrying about a thing.

First impression of Denver.  Really cool, modern and clean airport.

I love this pic!  Sorta looks like ghosts are boarding a ship. Amazing when you consider I took this pic from a FAST moving cab and I was ready to barf cuz of the crazy way dude was driving. You know, the U.S. is putting us on, people be traveling. Like a motherfucker. The travel industry - as well as all the ancillary industries serving it - could solve the economic woes of our country. But, that's the topic of another post.

At first, I was disappointed with our cheap little room on E. Colfax. But I fell in love with that room. Fabulous bed, black out curtains, great water pressure. I got some great sleep and showers! Best of all, it was in the middle of everything. We never even turned the TV on, who needs it when so much culture is outside your door? ('Course I don't watch TV anyway, as you know.) I had just gotten my Android phone, and now I can't imagine traveling without it. Just a week before leaving for Denver, I didn't even know how to answer the bitch! Now I was taking video and using GPS....I know you get it.

We made no plans for this trip, decided to let the cosmos take us where it would. I always regretted that I never traveled through Europe with a back pack. Now I was making up for that. And it was the best vacation ever!!!  We took it slow, saw a lot, rested and met a ton of great peeps.

Our hotel was on E. Colfax, east of downtown. And we were in the heart of everything! I had no idea when I booked the trip that Colfax is the longest continuous business district in the U.S. It extends a total of 26.5 miles - yep you can run a marathon on one street if you are so inclined. And talk about diversity, forget about it! We spoke with countless intellectuals, we saw every culture of people imaginable. Rastafarians, Cheyannes, Mexicans, goth biker wannabees, homosexual males going at it (I resisted the urge to tell them to get a room), tons of lesbians, transient, homeless, good old boys looking for opportunity, young men looking for opportunity, artists and musicians of every stripe..... Just what America should be! As a lover of diversity, I couldn't wait to get out and mingle. I hit the street with several cameras and totally felt the love, a camera is a great ice breaker! I was consistently greeted with love, curiosity for what I had to say, and the level of tolerance is absolute heaven. I realized I am wasting time living in a city that is so intolerant. Intolerance is a thing of the past, and I no longer want to be complicitous in the insidious damage it does to humanity and the economy. I told you, everything has changed. And c'mon folks, it's no surprise. It's not 1950. It's 2014.

No one acted as if I were weird, which is so refreshing. I'm not weird or crazy, I've just been living among the wrong people. Everyone acted as ambassadors, telling us to move there. People listened to what I had to say and didn't tune me out. They were interested in me as a person, and I was interested in them. I got lots of great convos, hugs, love and laughs. And learned so much. I am probably repeating myself, but that's why travel is so important for human development. It really raises the consciousness. And I say better late than never.

Stay tuned for further installments of my Denver series. Of course, I took a million pictures, so if you'd like to see less words, and more photos, please see my urban photojournal or my instagram.


All images by Peggy.

I'm on Instagram!

Hooray!  I finally have an Instagram account, so please feel free to follow along. It's really addicting and a lot of fun.

Photo of Cherise by Peggy

You can follow me @Margiemax, or click on the link on my sidebar.  I'm sure there will be tons of pictures on there soon.

Beauty in the Mundane

FINIAL

POMEGRANATE

FINIAL

POMEGRANATE

Photo Essay: this is how I do chronic, full body pain

Originally published 8/21/13

WARNING GRAPHIC PICTURES BELOW!

been a couple of rough weeks, heck as you know, it's been a rough - oh um like ah - 5 years!!  the good news is i am officially retired!  yay!  more time to blog.  i love blogging and i love my readers!  xo

last week had difficult procedures, but after 5 years am coming close to an answer on the strange and rare condition. i'm allergic to the world...my doctor said i qualify for a bubble, but i'd be allergic to the bubble, lol. at the time he said it, i didn't think he was funny, but i do now.  tragedy + time = comedy according to my love, Woody Allen.

oh gosh, if only i'd listened to my friend the yoga teacher 20 years ago, i might not be in this boat.  i am the most stubborn person on the planet.  stubborn.  don't believe me?  look up stubborn in the dictionary, you'll see my picture (an oldie but a goodie).  for some reason God has to pound me over the head before i make any changes.  i learn everything the hard way.  hope i can help others not to be as dense as i am.  but...you can never judge a person's place on their path.  we are all on the same path - just at different points - and we will all meet there in God's time.  God has been reminding me lately that everything happens in God's time. not in Peggy's time......oh (she said in a teeny-tiny little voice).  God says, Peg, my love, don't be so hard on yourself.   i say dude, sometimes i wish you didn't trust me too much.  he laughs.  God has a great sense of humor.

i am waiting on an important call....trying to stay calm.  i'm on GT - that's right   God's time.  don't mean to hammer the point, it's me who needs to hammered sometimes.  gonna try to avoid that, last one was a doozey.

anyway, i am merely God's conduit, his humble servant.  if i accept the important work God has given me, with gratitude, then i am protected.  i don't have to accept my mission, we still have free will as we are co-creators with God, but God protects his warriors. that's right.  i am a Warrior of God.  and God speaks to his Warriors.  clearly.  everything works when all i do is listen and follow the signs.  on to less lofty things!  lol

i got to shop a little the other day.  wow.  what a joy.  between Dollar General and Dot's this loot was $5.00!  a small price to pay for feeling normal again for a few minutes.  guess how long it's been since i bought eye shadow?  5 years.  i always thought my eyes were my best feature, so i miss eye makeup.  it's fun.  like painting!  when i got these fab products home, i became upset because i dearly love glittery eye shadow and I wanted to play with it.  impossible.  not with my swollen eyes - too painful. Then it struck me.  I'll do a photo journal of me in pain from head to toe, feeling sad about makeup, but happy about my hair.  everything seems to be running at 50/50 lately.  more on 50/50 in a subsequent post.

I rebelliously put on the pink and the glittery eyes shadow and then smeared them.  The following pics are a statement of my pain and agony and loss and.....hope.  they are unretouched.  didn't want to be accused of photoshopping them.

yep i hurt from head to toe.  yep i have a pink extension in my hair.  thanks Haley!

that's right.  i have a bald spot.  haters say i should cut my hair.  i say fuck haters.  here i also have glitter on my lips.

a friend (so-called) told me i talk too much and that "they" (who are they?) are going to throw a net over me and take me to the funny farm. (there are none in Ohio, remember?  no money.)  he said i am too friendly and shouldn't talk, greet and smile at neighbors.  well I refuse to shut up just because you want me to.  this is my life.  i will decide.

wanna see how i do mid life crisis?  click here.  want more photos and less words?  then check out my urban photojournal.

Viva La Fedora!

Photo by personal friends of the editor - not to be copied without express permission

While logging onto my blog today - I noticed a miraculous thing! I have posted over 1000 entries!  Wow. Doesn't seem possible.  To celebrate, I'd like to share this fab picture of a fab lady wearing my favorite hat - the Fedora!  To see more of my Fedora Project, please click here.

Fedora.  Looks good on every one.

Contemplative

I am feeling very peaceful and contented today.  It's a perfect Sunday.  I love this photograph.  It appeals to the part of me who would love to run to a new place.  Not sure why I am always drawn to solitary figures in art.  And, of course, I have a thing for pink hair.  Image via Urban Outfitters catalog.  Their catalog is always such a treat of beautiful photography.  I am guessing this is the work of fab photographer Geordie Wood, but I don't know for sure.  If you know this photographer, please contact me.  

Celebrating Photography

I love photography.  I am especially obsessed with fashion photography.  I'd love to do a large mural of a fashion shot.  Of course, it would have to be in black and white.  Here is some fab black and white eye candy for your Friday afternoon.

Would make a perfect mural!  I'd like to rasterize this image.  Image source unknown.

I love the contemplative romance of this photo.  For some reason, I love faceless art, maybe it's the mystery. (for previous posts featuring faceless art, click here).  Photo by personal friend of the editor.  Not to be copied without express permission.

The perfect glam pose.  One of my favorite photographers, Halim Ina.

Katie Holmes looks so fab in this ad!  I adore her chic yet casual look.  The pearls and sequined pants are feminine.  The denim shirt and slightly messy 'do gives her just the right amount of edge.  The perfect combination of hard and soft.

Speaking of feminine edge, look at this beauty.  A lot gorgeous, a little spooky.  Just the right amount of mystery.  Adds up to a whole lot of romance.  I'd love to know what's behind those soulful eyes.  Image source unknown.

Dreamy.  I'd love to float around in a bubble.  Melvin Sokolsky.

Stunning images from the Alexander McQueen retrospective Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I need one of these necklaces.  Again, soft yet edgy.  Reminds me of a dragon fly.  Manca Ahlin via See | Me.

I also adore fashion illustration.  I love me some Junko Mizuno.  The cover of this book is so awesome!  Edgy and cute.  Kinda retro.  Would make a great poster.  For previous posts about Junko Mizuno, click here.

*Note:  I have taken the liberty of making some of these photos black and white for the cohesion of this post.  Also, for photos that are uncredited, please contact me if you know the artist.  Thank you!