What I'm... Doing!

 

♥  My Canon Rebel 2000 film camera!

Yes, this week's "What I'm" post is a little broad in title but very specific in actuality. I am constantly looking for things to keep myself occupied and a very smart person suggested that I do something creative that doesn't necessarily have to do with fashion. As in, what would I like to creatively pursue as a hobby that is only for me? The answer is photography. I've always been interested in it and even took a couple classes in high school- darkroom and everything. I have a Polaroid camera that I love using but the film is expensive so I decided to start using my Canon Rebel 2000 film camera again. It took a little brushing up on my shutter speed and f-stop numbers but I started taking my first photos with it again last night and I can't wait to see how they turn out. I leave for Seattle on Thursday (in what is a very spur of the moment trip, so no "why didn't you tell me?!") and I'm so excited to capture some good times and share them here!

Have you been pursuing a new hobby lately? Or have you had a renewed interest in an old hobby? I'd love to read about it in the comments. I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend!

Instagram Rewind - Wings and a Birthday!

From top to bottom, left to right:

♥ 1. My view from the West Side Highway of the New Jersey skyline.

♥ 2. My roommate Allie and I went to happy hour at Brother Jimmy's. We had some amazing wings and a pitcher of Bud Light.

♥ 3. The Guggenheim museum is Pay-What-You-Wish on Saturdays from 5:45 to 7:45 PM so a couple friends and I took advantage of that and saw some great modern art!

♥ 4. My party outfit for my friend Olivia's birthday party.

♥ 5. My view from New Jersey of the New York City skyline.

♥ 6. Olivia cutting her birthday cake!

Hello all! My weekdays tend to drag on a little bit because as my job search continues I almost feel like I'm running out of things to do. Fortunately for me my weekends are usually jam-packed! New York has so many free things to do that even living on a budget can be fun, as long as you have someone to accompany you every so often. To keep myself busy this week, I plan on setting up my serger so I can start making a dress I have dreamed up. I hope you have a fun and busy week! And don't forget to see what I'm up to this week on my Instagram @chelseapurcella!

What I'm... Reading!

 

From top to bottom:

♥ 1. My copy of "Just Kids".

♥ 2. A photo of Patti Smith's photo of the Nathan's hot dog stand.

♥ 3. My Instagram photo of the Nathan's hot dog stand, at an eerily similar perspective.

In my next attempt at establishing an editorial calendar, Fridays will be "What I'm..." post days. Anything from what I'm listening to or eating or even as broad a subject as doing. Today's post is about what I'm reading. Or in this case what I've read. I finished reading "Just Kids" by Patti Smith somewhere around the 4th of July and I felt compelled to share because it is such an amazing read! I won't lie, I didn't know anything about Patti Smith or Robert Mapplethorpe before I started reading this book. Generally speaking I am just a big fan of biographies about women who have contributed something to culture in one way or another so I bought it one day at the Strand. As I started to read it I sort of felt like a kindred spirit I suppose and it seemed that I would be feeling the same as Patti Smith had. Like needing to escape New York City to see Paris or wearing or doing things because it related to an artist I love. And in one outstanding circumstance I was at Coney Island while reading about her and Robert Mapplethorpe going to Coney Island and a few pages later she made a reference to Audrey Hepburn's clothing in Funny Face- a movie, that very night, I was going to see for the first time. And we had even taken almost the same exact picture of the Nathan's hot dog stand but 35 years apart.

Can all this be chalked up to just a lot of coincidences? Of course, but maybe it's all a part of the same journey on the way to becoming what you're meant to do with yourself the rest of your life.

Have you ever read something or watched something that seemed to relate to what you were doing or feeling at the time? Comment on any experiences you've had below!

Instagram Rewind

From top to bottom, left to right:

♥ 1. I got the new J. Crew Style Guide in the mail and these heels definitely made me strap happy!

♥ 2. I had the pleasure of babysitting my cousin Georgia on Saturday night. Together we watched "Tangled"... and after she went to bed I watched "Love Actually" and "Julie & Julia."

♥ 3. My at-home mani in Clambake by Essie.

♥ 4. My new bag obsession from Kate Spade's Fall ad campaign.

♥ 5. Walking to the subway Saturday night, someone had just celebrated their 50th birthday and I had to wait sixteen minutes for the train!

♥ 6. On Sunday, I went to the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg for the first time and came home with this wide-eyed kitten knick-knack.

I am fairly new to having an iPhone. Prior to getting mine in March, I had the same phone for almost three years! And now that I have my iPhone, I am in love with Instagram. As the first post in what will become a weekly series, "Instagram Rewind" is how I spent my weekend in my photos from Instagram. If you're on Instagram, come say hello @chelseapurcella.