PICS
Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?
I am thankful to be alive -- on Thanksgiving last year I had just been released from the hospital and told that what I was sick with is often fatal. I just got my medical records and clarified a few questions with my college roommate, who is now a medical resident, and she was amazed I survived (I didn't realize until reading my records exactly how bad things were, so I am thankful anew that I am here to write this).
I am thankful for my wonderful family, and for my friends here, who are my second family.
I am thankful to have a place to live, and to be able to take care of my son.
I am thankful that I will soon finish my physical therapy and mostly recover my physical strength without need for further surgery (I am very over surgery). I may even be able to go back to aerial!
Revisiting last year's hell has put this year's personal sorrow in perspective. Who cares about a mean-spirited ex when every day I am able to wake up to a baby whose face lights up when he sees me?
Upon reflection, I've also been able to understand better where things have gone wrong, romantically speaking anyway. My best, most successful relationships are those where I have been the pursuer, or it was mutual. The worst, by far, have been those where I have been the pursued. Too often I wasn't interested until my future partner made their interest clear -- and too often I convinced myself I was interested as well so that I could see myself in the same positive light. Only once in my three decades of life have I turned someone down, and that means a whole lot of unsuitable partners and futile attempts at relationships. Once!
It's a little early for New Year's resolutions, but here are mine:
1. I am going to be a lot more selective about who I date. I am going to get to know someone before I date them, and I am not going to let the flattery of someone else's crush on me cloud my thinking about whether a relationship is a good idea.
2. I am going to take more care with my appearance. I have never, ever been a girly girl but I am a lingerie whore, and I have good taste if I do say so myself. Cotton panties are the exception for this broad. If I can take the time to make sure my bra and panties match every day, I can take the time to look halfway put together when I leave the house. I can wear more than the same three pairs of jeans. (I feel that it is critical to note, however, I have never, EVER worn sweatpants in public and I have only worn leggings when I was hugely pregnant AND my top provided complete and ample coverage of my ass. Because leggings are not pants.) Makeup, however, is a goal for another year. Baby steps. Also, I have to learn to apply it.
3. I am going to take more care with my speech. Over the last few years as I have read fewer books and spent more reading time on the internet, my vocabulary has declined as well as my eloquence. Once upon a time I dreamed of being a writer and writers don't speak in internet memes. For my own sake and for my son's, I need to speak like the educated adult I am. This reminds me: I have to dig out my diplomas so I can frame them and hang them in the bathroom.
4. I am going to finally do something with my life. I had great potential and big plans when I was in high school and college, but once I graduated I kept getting sidetracked. Bad relationship decisions played a role in this, but the blame falls fully on me for not living up to my potential. Before I die I need to have created something that I am proud of, something that makes a lasting impression. It doesn't have to be the Great American Novel or the voice of my generation or anything equally ambitious or, frankly, self-righteous. Just something that touches an objective observer, something that they may remember out of the blue years later.
Considering I have recently experienced the whimsical nearness of death, I need to move my ass and figure out what this is, and then do it. I don't know if it will be photography, or writing, or a role I play on stage, or simply imparting to my son the importance of Kurt Vonnegut's words "God damn it, you've got to be kind." Actually, I think I should accomplish the kindness bit in addition to my personal ambition. There's too much sadness in the world, too much anger. How wonderful would it be if my son grew up to be one of those people who brightens the world for others?
I am thankful to be alive -- on Thanksgiving last year I had just been released from the hospital and told that what I was sick with is often fatal. I just got my medical records and clarified a few questions with my college roommate, who is now a medical resident, and she was amazed I survived (I didn't realize until reading my records exactly how bad things were, so I am thankful anew that I am here to write this).
I am thankful for my wonderful family, and for my friends here, who are my second family.
I am thankful to have a place to live, and to be able to take care of my son.
I am thankful that I will soon finish my physical therapy and mostly recover my physical strength without need for further surgery (I am very over surgery). I may even be able to go back to aerial!
Revisiting last year's hell has put this year's personal sorrow in perspective. Who cares about a mean-spirited ex when every day I am able to wake up to a baby whose face lights up when he sees me?
Upon reflection, I've also been able to understand better where things have gone wrong, romantically speaking anyway. My best, most successful relationships are those where I have been the pursuer, or it was mutual. The worst, by far, have been those where I have been the pursued. Too often I wasn't interested until my future partner made their interest clear -- and too often I convinced myself I was interested as well so that I could see myself in the same positive light. Only once in my three decades of life have I turned someone down, and that means a whole lot of unsuitable partners and futile attempts at relationships. Once!
It's a little early for New Year's resolutions, but here are mine:
1. I am going to be a lot more selective about who I date. I am going to get to know someone before I date them, and I am not going to let the flattery of someone else's crush on me cloud my thinking about whether a relationship is a good idea.
2. I am going to take more care with my appearance. I have never, ever been a girly girl but I am a lingerie whore, and I have good taste if I do say so myself. Cotton panties are the exception for this broad. If I can take the time to make sure my bra and panties match every day, I can take the time to look halfway put together when I leave the house. I can wear more than the same three pairs of jeans. (I feel that it is critical to note, however, I have never, EVER worn sweatpants in public and I have only worn leggings when I was hugely pregnant AND my top provided complete and ample coverage of my ass. Because leggings are not pants.) Makeup, however, is a goal for another year. Baby steps. Also, I have to learn to apply it.
3. I am going to take more care with my speech. Over the last few years as I have read fewer books and spent more reading time on the internet, my vocabulary has declined as well as my eloquence. Once upon a time I dreamed of being a writer and writers don't speak in internet memes. For my own sake and for my son's, I need to speak like the educated adult I am. This reminds me: I have to dig out my diplomas so I can frame them and hang them in the bathroom.
4. I am going to finally do something with my life. I had great potential and big plans when I was in high school and college, but once I graduated I kept getting sidetracked. Bad relationship decisions played a role in this, but the blame falls fully on me for not living up to my potential. Before I die I need to have created something that I am proud of, something that makes a lasting impression. It doesn't have to be the Great American Novel or the voice of my generation or anything equally ambitious or, frankly, self-righteous. Just something that touches an objective observer, something that they may remember out of the blue years later.
Considering I have recently experienced the whimsical nearness of death, I need to move my ass and figure out what this is, and then do it. I don't know if it will be photography, or writing, or a role I play on stage, or simply imparting to my son the importance of Kurt Vonnegut's words "God damn it, you've got to be kind." Actually, I think I should accomplish the kindness bit in addition to my personal ambition. There's too much sadness in the world, too much anger. How wonderful would it be if my son grew up to be one of those people who brightens the world for others?
I am going to kill Adobe Lightroom and its entire family. Scorched earth, no prisoners. It decided to randomly corrupt my catalog and lose me about 15 hours worth of work, edits on almost a hundred photos. Including PSDs, which are gone without a trace; recovery software can't even find evidence they ever existed. When I rule the world someone at Adobe is going to be eating sea urchins for this.
Happy stuff:
OMFG. I can't decide what to ask for for Christmas. I am torn between this Magenta / Bride of Frankenstein wig:
so I can look like this again:
and this set from Fleur of England:
I wish I could get paid for just being me. Think how much more fabulous I'd be.
Happy stuff:
OMFG. I can't decide what to ask for for Christmas. I am torn between this Magenta / Bride of Frankenstein wig:
so I can look like this again:
and this set from Fleur of England:
I wish I could get paid for just being me. Think how much more fabulous I'd be.
Coralee and I marched with Occupy Chicago on Saturday. Here are some pictures I took:
It felt good to be a part of something. Will our presence there make a difference? Probably not. But it's more likely to make a difference than by sitting on my ass at home complaining.
I find it unconscionable that the protesters were able to camp in Grant Park for a whopping two hours before Chicago's Finest swept them all away to jail. My tax dollars pay for that public park, and the right to assemble still exists even in Chicago, does it not?
It felt good to be a part of something. Will our presence there make a difference? Probably not. But it's more likely to make a difference than by sitting on my ass at home complaining.
I find it unconscionable that the protesters were able to camp in Grant Park for a whopping two hours before Chicago's Finest swept them all away to jail. My tax dollars pay for that public park, and the right to assemble still exists even in Chicago, does it not?
No time for a brand new blog just yet, but I have to tell you about my dear friend Coralee coming back from a far-too-long hiatus with an impossibly sexy set: Heat Wave
Your wish is my command.
New Salome boobs can be found here: Goodbye to Romance, on Zivity. As usual, PM me your email address for a free trial membership so you can see all five of my sets there, as well as Coralee's debut set on Zivity (her second will be coming shortly) and some of my photography on Zivity. By the way, you can see my photography on SG by searching in Member Review for the tag photographybysalome.
Speaking of my photography in Member Review, Oogie's set Secret Hideaway went live today! I'm very proud of it, so please go check it out and leave a nice comment. I have a confession to make though: I barely did shit to shoot that set. Oogie did all the work by posing and looking beautiful; I just hit the camera button and slapped a logo on the photos.
It came out just after her birthday too, so she would be extra-special grateful if you would give the set some birthday love.
New Coralee on Zivity
My new set on Zivity (my fifth there), Goodbye to Romance
More gorgeous ladies who deserve lots of comments on how beautiful they are:
Guns - Raw Sugar
Raffertie - Afficher
Ozma_ - Little Star
Churtch - Just Like Heaven
Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
Your wish is my command.
New Salome boobs can be found here: Goodbye to Romance, on Zivity. As usual, PM me your email address for a free trial membership so you can see all five of my sets there, as well as Coralee's debut set on Zivity (her second will be coming shortly) and some of my photography on Zivity. By the way, you can see my photography on SG by searching in Member Review for the tag photographybysalome. Speaking of my photography in Member Review, Oogie's set Secret Hideaway went live today! I'm very proud of it, so please go check it out and leave a nice comment. I have a confession to make though: I barely did shit to shoot that set. Oogie did all the work by posing and looking beautiful; I just hit the camera button and slapped a logo on the photos.
It came out just after her birthday too, so she would be extra-special grateful if you would give the set some birthday love. New Coralee on Zivity
My new set on Zivity (my fifth there), Goodbye to Romance
More gorgeous ladies who deserve lots of comments on how beautiful they are:
Guns - Raw Sugar
Raffertie - Afficher
Ozma_ - Little Star
Churtch - Just Like Heaven
Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
Your wish is my command. New Salome boobs can be found here: Goodbye to Romance, on Zivity. As usual, PM me your email address for a free trial membership so you can see all five of my sets there, as well as Coralee's debut set on Zivity (her second will be coming shortly) and some of my photography on Zivity. By the way, you can see my photography on SG by searching in Member Review for the tag photographybysalome.
Speaking of my photography in Member Review, Oogie's set Secret Hideaway went live today! I'm very proud of it, so please go check it out and leave a nice comment. I have a confession to make though: I barely did shit to shoot that set. Oogie did all the work by posing and looking beautiful; I just hit the camera button and slapped a logo on the photos. It came out just after her birthday too, so she would be extra-special grateful if you would give the set some birthday love.
New Coralee on Zivity
My new set on Zivity (my fifth there), Goodbye to Romance
More gorgeous ladies who deserve lots of comments on how beautiful they are:
Guns - Raw Sugar
Raffertie - Afficher
Ozma_ - Little Star
Churtch - Just Like Heaven
Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
New Salome boobs can be found here: Goodbye to Romance, on Zivity. As usual, PM me your email address for a free trial membership so you can see all five of my sets there, as well as Coralee's debut set on Zivity (her second will be coming shortly) and some of my photography on Zivity. By the way, you can see my photography on SG by searching in Member Review for the tag photographybysalome. Speaking of my photography in Member Review, Oogie's set Secret Hideaway went live today! I'm very proud of it, so please go check it out and leave a nice comment. I have a confession to make though: I barely did shit to shoot that set. Oogie did all the work by posing and looking beautiful; I just hit the camera button and slapped a logo on the photos.
It came out just after her birthday too, so she would be extra-special grateful if you would give the set some birthday love. New Coralee on Zivity
My new set on Zivity (my fifth there), Goodbye to Romance
More gorgeous ladies who deserve lots of comments on how beautiful they are:
Guns - Raw Sugar
Raffertie - Afficher
Ozma_ - Little Star
Churtch - Just Like Heaven
Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
You know whose boobs you've been missing? Coralee's. I am working on a new SG set of her, called Heat Wave ....
... but you can see new Cora RIGHT NOW on Zivity!
If you need an invite to the site, I can give you a trial membership. Just PM me with the email address you'd like the invite sent to. Then click here to see the set. More sets in the pipeline too! Hooray for more Coralee!! 
Oogie's set goes live in a couple days (sept. 30) too
I'm really happy to be doing so much photography. I love doing it. I don't love editing, but I love having an awesome final product, so I've been getting better at Photoshop. Also, Lightroom changed my life. What used to be a three-week process filled with a whole lot of cussing has now turned into a 10-day process with moderate grumbling. Many many thanks to the beautiful, patient models who have allowed me to shoot them and practice getting better at this, and hopefully give them some photos they can be proud of in the process:
Guns - Raw Sugar
Raffertie - Afficher
Ozma_ - Little Star
Churtch - Just Like Heaven
Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
Holy hotness, another fine hopeful went live in Member Review today! Guns has a beautiful new set up so please check her out and tell her you loved it!
Guns - Raw Sugar
Ozma_'s set Little Star went live a couple days ago, so go leave her some love!
I also shot Churtch who is way overdue for a new set. Just Like Heaven, went live in Member Review on her birthday, hooray!
More sets I've shot:
Coralee - Heat Wave, coming soon
Oogie - Secret Hideaway, coming Sept 30
Don't forget about Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
Guns - Raw Sugar
Ozma_'s set Little Star went live a couple days ago, so go leave her some love!
I also shot Churtch who is way overdue for a new set. Just Like Heaven, went live in Member Review on her birthday, hooray!
More sets I've shot:
Coralee - Heat Wave, coming soon
Oogie - Secret Hideaway, coming Sept 30
Don't forget about Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
and upcoming sets:
Raffertie - Afficher, coming Sept. 23
MIDI (still in prep)
Double edit: Holy hotness, another fine hopeful went live in Member Review today! Guns has a beautiful new set up so please check her out and tell her you loved it!
Guns - Raw Sugar
Edit: Ozma_'s set Little Star went live today! Go leave her some love!
Everyone go wish Churtch a happy birthday and happy set day! The set I shot of her, Just Like Heaven, went live in Member Review today! Give her and her hot ass some birthday love.
It's been about a month, and I am doing much better. I have realized, first of all, that I have a lot of truly wonderful people in my life, and secondly, without the toxicity that I hadn't wanted to recognize my ex had been pouring into my brain and my soul, I am a much happier person. My world is much better, much happier, much freer without her. Nothing replaces the love and care of friends you've known for over ten years.
I am very happy that I seem to be learning a lot about shooting models for SG lately. Last weekend I shot both Coralee and Oogie, two gorgeous ladies who burn up my camera. I just had to click the button, and bam, awesome sets. Preview time!
Coralee - Heat Wave, coming soon
Oogie - Secret Hideaway, coming soon
Don't forget about Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
Guns - Raw Sugar
Edit: Ozma_'s set Little Star went live today! Go leave her some love!
Everyone go wish Churtch a happy birthday and happy set day! The set I shot of her, Just Like Heaven, went live in Member Review today! Give her and her hot ass some birthday love.
It's been about a month, and I am doing much better. I have realized, first of all, that I have a lot of truly wonderful people in my life, and secondly, without the toxicity that I hadn't wanted to recognize my ex had been pouring into my brain and my soul, I am a much happier person. My world is much better, much happier, much freer without her. Nothing replaces the love and care of friends you've known for over ten years.
I am very happy that I seem to be learning a lot about shooting models for SG lately. Last weekend I shot both Coralee and Oogie, two gorgeous ladies who burn up my camera. I just had to click the button, and bam, awesome sets. Preview time!
Coralee - Heat Wave, coming soon
Oogie - Secret Hideaway, coming soon
Don't forget about Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
and upcoming sets:
Raffertie - Afficher, coming Sept. 23
MIDI (still in prep)
My heart hurts. After two and a half years, my woman threw it all away. However, the funeral for my friend on Saturday (shot in the neck by a stray bullet, leaving behind a young baby) sort of puts it in perspective. At least I still have those I love and who still love me back.
obligatory set pimpage:
obligatory set pimpage:
I love shooting sets of pretty ladies (editing them, however, not so fun. Lightroom has lessened my desktop's risk of being defenestrated, but it just means that I have to use two programs for editing instead of one for sorting and one for editing, since Lightroom's blemish removal is not as good as Photoshop's, and it's SLOW). I hope I get to shoot more sets! I like doing it and I think I'm getting better with every set.
In Member Review now, so leave your love:
Sauda - Blue Moon
Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
Upcoming!
Ozma_ - Little Star, coming Sept. 15
Guns - Raw Sugar, coming Sept. 19
Raffertie - Afficher, coming Sept. 23
In Member Review now, so leave your love:
Sauda - Blue Moon
Kurosune - Ka-Pow!
Upcoming!
Ozma_ - Little Star, coming Sept. 15
Guns - Raw Sugar, coming Sept. 19
Raffertie - Afficher, coming Sept. 23
