on the road: Lake Placid

Yes, it's true - I'm still traveling about the country! But I had just a moment to update before heading out again.  Last week took me to Lake Placid.  I had no idea what to expect as I haven't ever been to the Adirondacks or really ever thought about going there, but oh, I loved it so.  Not only was it just so beautiful, but I really vibed with the people.  Everyone was so nice and happy - must be all of that fresh air.  It was a short trip, but a good one.

 (view from the top of the bobsled track at the Olympic Sports Complex - look at the ski jump!)

 (my coworker during filming)

(the bobsled course is huge - and it's only a :60 ride for the athletes)

 (there were a bunch of old bobsleds...)

 (...I had to get in one)

 

(Lake Placid Craft Brewing: the local brew.  I loved it here. The beer was good, the people were friendly and it was a no frills, super fun place. We brought a couple growlers home for our coworkers)

on the road: San Antonio, TX

I wrapped up the long leg of this travel with a few days in San Antonio.  It was HOT, but I enjoyed prickly pear margaritas, drives through the country while singing the theme from Friday Night Lights in my head and spending time with some amazing people (you'll see when you see the videos).

(hit the rental car jackpot when I was upgraded to this red mustang convertible)

 (can't you hear the Dillon Panthers cheering?)

 (my cousin from Houston always talks about how she loves "big sky"; I do, too)

 (Mike let me take his photo in this tobacco field- I think it looks like it could be a music album cover)

 (fearless DP)

(more dog friends - Penny & Iris!)

 

(kept up my running and ran by some cool stuff - including the Alamo!)

on the road: Park City/Salt Lake City

(trail run in Park City)

I spent eight days in Utah, the first few in Park City and the rest in Salt Lake City (and I'll be back to Park City again at the end of the trip!).  I hadn't ever been the Park City before and honestly, it kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies.  Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely lovely and beautiful, but Main Street kind of looked like something Walt Disney would have built, like when they were making it they said, "let's build this like an old mining town!" It didn't feel authentic, but I still really enjoyed it.  We also got to visit the Utah Olympic Park, built for the 2002 Salt Lake City games.  I HIGHLY recommend visiting that place if you ever get there.  Not only were the views beautiful, but the place is rad - we went ziplining!

(Main Street in Park City, taken from the roof of the No Name Saloon)

 (ski jumps - to the left if the big zipline!)

 (view from the Park)

 (our fearless crew - they are amazing)

 

(top of the jump - we ziplined down from here)

(another dog on set - say hi to Cooper!)

Onto Salt Lake City...we got to visit another Olympic place - the Utah Olympic Oval, which was where all the skating took place.  There is so much beauty in Utah, it was nice to shoot some stuff outside (and I've also been very good with my running, which is always a great way to explore some city and nature).

 (another dog on set - Milo!)

 (we needed to do some filming on ice and our grip had this sled dolly - genius!)

 (my trusty travel companion and coworker Mike - I always have to take one obligatory model shot of him)

 (beautiful location - I had to get one artsy shot)

(the whole gang!)

 (got in a few local brews - cheers, Utah!)

on the road: Birmingham (and beyond)

Hi friends! I'm on the road for another big work project and thought I'd share with you some photos and musings along the way.  It's a crazy trip lasting around five weeks with only six days back at home in Boston total.  I'm already a few weeks in, so thought it was high time a shared some of the places - check back over the month to see the cities unfold.  And while I can't share exactly what I'm doing, if you follow me on twitter (@arestiaR), you'll see me tweet out the videos to share when they're ready this coming fall into winter.

Our first stop started at the end of August with a trip to Birmingham, Alabama.  I had never been and it was a quick trip, but it was still great to be in the south for a tic.

 (there were hummingbirds everywhere and they were not easy to get in focus)

 (dog on set; this one is named Mama Dog. I'm toying with the idea of starting a timblr just called Dogs on Set - I have tons of pictures from over the years of production...)

 (watching/listening to an interview)

 (cicada shell - these were everywhere! And you could definitely hear them)

 (picture perfect setting)

 (drive, just outside of Birmingham)

(cool signage)

(delicious BBQ at the end of the day; more Carolina style-like (vinegar based sauce), but delicious)

I'm shooting on a Nikon D60 (it's a pretty serious camera; exception is that last one, which was on my iPhone) and it's been a while since I spent a lot of time shooting on it (you can tell by some of the focus).  But I've noticed I'm getting used to it again after about a week on it, so you'll notice the coming pictures start to get better!

unexpected travel: Iran in video

I always love hearing about the amazing places my globetrotting friends are off to and the surprising places they find they love, the friends they never thought they'd make and the beauty in it all.

Recently on my own travels, I caught up with my dear friend Sarah who is so globally minded, always wants what she does to matter to the world around her and has such insight into people and places.  She always gives me incredible energy while leaving me with something to think about.  We're always scheming about what we can cook up to travel and tell stories together and she shared this video on Iran.  I thought it was so incredibly moving and beautiful, I had to share with you all.  When all we hear about is the negative side of Iran on this side of the world, I loved seeing the softer and everyday side of a country rich in culture.  Enjoy!

Iran from Mandy Tay on Vimeo.

word.

I'm no designer, but I whipped this up as a reminder that it's I who decides what to do with what I have to make it how I want.  When I was a teenager, my uncle said something to me I've never forgotten: "You need to figure out how to win the game on the field you're playing on."

And in case you didn't notice it, yes this is from the song "Birmingham" by the amazing Shovels & Rope.  Listen to it here:

etsy content kills it

Etsy content lately (well, for a while now) is killing it.  Everyday, one of my favorite emails to open is their Etsy Finds email.  Etsy search can sometimes be overwhelming, but it helps me discover new shops and cool finds to keep track of (or sometimes dangerously, buy instantly).  Look at some stuff from today's email:

You can sign up for their daily email over on etsy.com/mailinglist.

And the Etsy blog is so cool, too, with DIY tutorials and featured shops, cool videos and even recipes.  I also like the feature "Quit Your Day Job" about people that do Etsy full time, not because I'm looking to do that, but because I love hearing stories about how people with a passion turned it full time and hearing how they did that.  Check out two of the latest, Little Dog Vintage & Julie Ann Art:

 (Claire Ferrante of Little Dog Vintage in front of her killer Vermont farmhouse)

 (Julie Ann of Julie Ann Art)

There are communities and labs and events and forums, oh my!  Keep it up, Etsy.