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.

folk fest magic

Well, my favorite summer weekend came and went this past weekend- The Newport Folk Festival.  There were so many wonderful acts and despite either the crazy rain or insufferable heat, we still had such a blast.  Their were surprising performances, great energy and beautiful, sincere music all around.  If you want to  hear what all the fuss is about, festival organizer Jay Sweet put together a great list on Spotify:



You can also listen to the whole festival over on NPR Music.

Here are some photos of my favorite acts and a taste of our fun times.

 (commuting to the festival at the fort is best via ferry)

 (Joe Fletcher played over at the Family Tent on the first day, so we caught an intimate performance. One of my favorite things about the festival is you never know where performers will play other shows all over the place).

 (Lots of rain on day 1, but all smile, especially with Old Crow Medicine Show making everyone happy. Their energy and excitement was infectious - they just looked so happy to be playing there!)

 (And the sun did eventually come out...)

 (Inside the sailing museum, there were small workshops and Q&A sessions. We got a text from a friend saying the Avett Brothers were doing one in the morning on the second day, so we high tailed it over there - such a magical, intimate performance).

(and of course they nailed it on the main stage at the end of the day)

(I also really enjoyed Houndmouth from day 2.)

                                      (ran into two of my cousins!)             (heat was intense, but we didn't care)

(The Wheeler Brother kicked off Day 3 with a bang)

(and I didn't expect to have Lord Huron play with such energy, but man, everyone was on their feet)

(The Lumineers came and played in the crowd, and lucky enough, I was standing right by there!)

(boats drop anchor in the harbor to hear the acts on the main stage)

Another beautiful, joyous folk festival - see you next summer, Newport.

the way life should be

I had a deliciously wonderful and typically Maine weekend this past weekend. Time with gals that have known me since my awkward years, beautiful country and belly full of crustaceans is the perfect way to spend a weekend in a state so magical.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves.