Weekly Photo Challenge: Renewal

On November 9, 2012November 9, 2012 By AngeliaIn Beautiful Life54 Comments

I’ve wanted to post about this area for some time. It’s called The Bishop Arts District, located in Oak Cliff, Texas. This is just a tad to the southwest of downtown Dallas. They have several art mural projects for 7th street and Oak Cliff.

I find these art murals completely fascinating.

One is to raise money for local artists, and the other is to beautify the walls with graffiti designed to show something more….

A more beautiful place to look at.

A more dedicated community to the arts.

A more giving use of talents, and outstanding vision from these local creators.

A wonderful, and artistic display which varies from children to adults.

It is as impressive as it sounds.

I ventured to this area to capture the wall art. But, I realized something……these murals are not just eye candy. They are a renewal. A renewal for a plain wall, to go from drab, to fab. A creative, and colorful endeavor that spreads cheer throughout the neighborhood.

My hope is you enjoy them as much as me. Aren’t they amazing? A real photographic trip. Heh!

Click on any photo to enlarge and display a gallery slide show.

Want more renewal? Check out The Daily Post on WordPress for this week’s Renewal Photo Challange.

Do you have an arts neighborhood?

The Summer of Hot

On August 9, 2011August 9, 2011 By AngeliaIn Days and Nights, Mon Dieu! and all that stuff.24 Comments

Today will mark the 39th day of temperatures soaring to over 100-degrees in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Thirty-nine days of melt everything-in-your car searing heat. Thirty-nine days of risking serious burn putting on your seat belt. Thirty-nine days of hovering in front of an AC unit, just to survive. Thirty-nine days of crispy brown grass and dead – way dead – plants.

Thirty-nine days.

And that’s not even the record. The record in 1980 is listed as forty-two 100+ days in a row.

Which we will beat – according to forecasters – on Friday.

It’s not just the record number of 100+ days in a row, we are, also, breaking temp records each day. Record low at night, record high during the day.

Today, as usual, we could break a record high. The record is 106. Temp today? 107

Two things I can assure you.

One, it’s not a dry heat.

Two, there hasn’t been a drop of rain either (oh, there are urban legends of rain, and/or mirages of rain), it’s not real. If you have seen rain, you risked outside exposure one too many times.

There is a small – obviously sick – part of me that looks forward to the new blazing summer record.

Hey, we got this far! Might as well make history.

Unless something crazy happens, we definitely will.

Now more people can understand why we have tinted windows in our cars and swimming pools on every corner.

These are not optional, they are required.

I hope wherever you are…..you are cool. In Texas, we are just HOT.

Happy Summer!

I’m a Creeeeep…I’m a Weeeeirdo…

On May 18, 2011May 18, 2011 By AngeliaIn In my heart forever & ever, Life is what you make it., LOVE11 Comments

What the heck am I doing here?
I don’t belong here.
-Radiohead

I typed out these lyrics to Creep in a Facebook message. Little did I know, they would dramatically change my life. It was, in all honesty, the only Radiohead song I knew.

I saw an update status asking if anyone would be interested in Radiohead concert tickets on Sunday. Well I really wasn’t, unless I could get my brother to come down from Oklahoma, but being it was a Sunday night that wasn’t likely to happen. The bigger question to me and the one that I asked to my casually acquainted Facebook friend……why aren’t you going?

He admitted to not having a date, going through a hurtful divorce, and the regular woes of life that we all get so caught up in that we forget to – well – have fun.

Then I wowed him with my lyrical knowledge. “I’m a creeeep! I’m a weeeeirdooooo!” Never mind I wasn’t singing but typing. I’m that good.

He was so impressed that he found a fellow Radiohead fan in all of Facebook-land that he offered to take me to the concert, so we could crone as one.

I did what any single girl would do trying to become a crazy fan in 48 hours or less to impress a guy. I YouTube searched a few more songs. Surely I knew more than one Radiohead song. Right???

I found Karma Police. Yeah. I think I heard one of the contestants sing that on Rockstar INXS. Cool! I watched the video. See I was a Radiohead fan after all. No problem. I got this.

We made plans to meet at his house at 6pm to head from Arlington to Dallas. I talked to him for the first time on the phone the day before to set it up. I, incredibly, got there at 6pm sharp. For those that know me that was a miracle in itself.

As I pulled up, the garage door opened and there stood my date – that wasn’t a date – but just a kind gesture of servitude to another concert going Radiohead fan (heh).

Our eyes met in smiles right away, he was MUCH better looking in person than in his picture and what surprised me most of all…he was TALL. 6ft 1in. If only Facebook gave profile stats, I could have known. I wore my high heel sandals thinking he was short. I know. Don’t try to compute the logic, I had guy issues. Ahem. I’m a creeeeppp.

Off we head to Dallas, listening to Radiohead in the car, except I didn’t know it was Radiohead since I only knew ONE song. Maybe two if my YouTube memory held out. I actually figured it out AFTER the concert when I truly was a new turned fan.

Didn’t matter anyhow, we talked the whole way – about – everything. If there is one thing my momma taught me it was how to have a conversation, with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Thanks mom! I’ll chat with you later when I have a few hours *wink*.

It was a good thing too. It took hours just to get INTO the concert. Never have I seen so many people going to a concert at Superpages.com, or better known as the Smirnoff, or more simply Fairpark, in all my life.

The park was packed. Our seats were just under the awning – which was GREAT – considering the entire lawn behind us had seating that was really far back and ALL of it was standing room only. The concert started right after we sat down and it took my breath away. Literally, or Lyrically. I guess both.

And really I can’t describe it, but those things hanging down..they changed colors. They glowed. They flashed. They did everything but walk off the stage, or maybe they did that too. It was all in tune to the beat, and the motion of the music, which was poetry in itself. Incredibly awesome, like nothing I have ever seen.

These images are from a google search. Our view was more like this.

But honestly? It didn’t matter where we sat. It was the greatest, most energetic, dramatic, artfully choreographed media concert show I have ever seen and, trust me, I’m no concert virgin. There was a time I thought I was watching a video being played on a big screen, when in fact it was in live time with the stage. It was that good.

I felt SAD when it ended. When our night ended. I felt like we went through something special together and a friendship bond formed. Was it love at first sight? Not at all. I was pleasantly surprised by him. Blown away by the concert, and really enjoyed our long car conversations. *It took three hours to get OUT of the concert*

Jason, my friend, my boyfriend, my husband – Happy THREE year anniversary of our meet date. I can humbly say, May 18, 2008, a Radiohead concert, truly changed my world by bringing you into it.

You know the funniest twist to it all? They didn’t even play Creep.

I’m a creep.
I’m a weirdo.
What the heck am I doing here?
I don’t belong here.
Oooh-oooh.

*I rarely re-post, but this is in honor of another year.*

Happy last first date to my sweetie! Now, when is Radiohead coming back in concert?

Snice Day

On February 1, 2011February 2, 2011 By AngeliaIn A Puppy Named Brownie, Angel Lia's Photography, Life is what you make it.19 Comments

That’s snow + ice = snice. And what happens when you get a snice day in North Central Texas ( or Dallas, if you prefer)? Answer: no school or work!

That’s a sNICE day! Yay!!

I stocked up and it paid off (by the way I grossly underestimated my supply stock of oatmeal pies). Meh.

But we did not lose electricity. In all respects, if not for the ice, it would have been fine. But of course, that is not what happens in Texas. The rain from the night before created a slick SHEET on the roads and as predicted, not enough sand trucks. The road by our house is a hill. I saw two cars spin their way to the top (on the second try) (barely).

Let’s just say…we are not going anywhere. No way out.

The little girls are at their mom’s house. Good thing too. Their Aunt from the North is visiting and she knows ALL about snow. I have no doubt she taught them some mad snow skills. Go Auntie!

So, what’s a mom to do when a teenager is afraid of the cold? When she has no little kids to entertain? ~~She watches TV and plays on the computer~~. Ahem. No, actually, she watches TV, plays on the computer, and takes care of her fur kids.

And when the fur kids need to “go potty” a zillion times, what can she do but entertain them?

momcanwegoplayinthesnow — Moooommmmm, I need to go potty.

Again? Really? You gotta go, huh? Well….we will just see.

And what happens as soon as they get out the door?

Dogsinsnowplaying — Snow! Snow! Weeeeee!

They love the snow (ice). LOVE IT!

It’s 21 degrees. Windchill (and it’s blowing HARD) is 1. I can last about FIVE minutes and that is with gloves on.

But I decide it’s a great time to use my new camera AND practice my action (freeze – ha) shots. I employ The Teen to help me call the dogs to capture all the running and the snow spin out action.

With much rolling of eyes, she agrees – with no gloves, nor hat. I urge her to get gloves (and hat). Gee Whiz.

As The Teen models her winter snow gear for Texas weather. I snap pictures of dogs, but do catch her in this one.

Wonder why she didn’t last long? I am thinking the pajama pants were a little breezy. Mhmm?

I didn’t need her any way. The dogs need no urging to run. They run, and run, and run.

I nicknamed Brownie (the shih-tzu) “Brownie The Flash”. She is little, but mighty. I swear that dog has wings.

This was her first experience with snow. It was most adorable.

Brownieandhermustache — Brownie with a snowstach. Got snow?

Maybe we didn’t have the little kids, but our snice day was a great success. We thoroughly enjoyed it and guess what? It didn’t melt. In fact, it’s even crunchier.

Snow + ice + crunch = Snirch

What happens on a Snirch day?

Answer: Schools close (again!). Work? Well…we will find out tomorrow. But it’s looking like a SNIRCH DAY! Unless our steep hill of ice melts, but I believe the temperature high tomorrow is a whooping 10 degrees!

Stay warm, and be safe everyone.

**Also, I am being featured over at The Red Dress Club today (Feb. 2nd). Be sure to click over and read my interview. All my fiction writing has been inspired by these wonderful ladies and the writers that participate. This is a incredible site to grow your love of writing and have a lot of supporters offering feedback.