rainy read.

oh, i seem to have fallen into my old habit of reading into the wee hours of the night. it is just so tempting to tell myself, 'i'll only read until the next chapter' or 'ok, only 10 more pages, honest!' all the while knowing that i will pay dearly for this indulgence when my alarm comes calling all too early in the morning. as the rain falls outside my window i can already tell that the pages of my newest read are calling. i should resist.

...but it is just
...so
addicting.

-------

i stumbled across a couple of photos that i took sometime last year. it was a pleasant day. pleasant weather. pleasant company. pleasant activities.

i played with a couple of my favorite photos from the day. what beautiful friends!


miss allison.


(i) miss (you) anna.

c.

holding on.

as much as i have tried to avoid the acknowledgment that polaroid film is, in fact, becoming extinct...the sad truth is that my favorite film medium is fading. and fast.

though i have been collecting (hoarding) packs of these precious photos, i am also trying to come to terms with the thought of life after polaroids.

a few friends have been sending polaroid-style software that takes a digital photo & imitates the subdued colors and shaky focus of the film. poladroid & rollip are my favorites at the moment. i am still trying them out (thanks nico & sujy). however, the fauxlaroid leaves me conflicted.

...on the one hand i am happy to have some sort of style retention that resembles the look/feel of actual polaroids. it's oddly comforting to know that the distinct style will not fade completely into the past.

...on the other hand--one of the most alluring aspects of these instant shots are their imperfections. and the excitement of waiting for that one shot to develop before your eyes. the instant gratification & endless 'do-overs' made available by digital film do not leave me with the same satisfaction as my beloved 600's.

and so, i continue, on my quest to collect as much film as possible until there is no more to be had. and savor each shot from now until the last click of my chunky, blue friend.

the times they are a changin',
c.

amistad precioso.

mira la carta amable de mi amiga, dahnyanita.



muchas gracias, amiga!!!

c.

alpaca amore.

there is someone in my parking garage at work who loves alpacas so much so that he/she decided to tattoo their car with an alpaca decal.

that's love. i really would like to meet this person.



i'll get to the bottom of this.

c.

double-take cupcake.

allison surprised me with a cute card & cuppycakes from crave!

i love cupcakeries. impractical though they may be (at $3.75/cupcake...eesh!), they are just so cute & tempting.

yet another reason why my roommate is da bomb.

...

i just came home from my run, and jumped into the shower with my socks still on. what?! there is little worse than a wet sock. yuck.
sometimes i make myself wonder how i've made it this far in life!

happy tuesday, you can find me at hip-hop class tonight. exxxcited!
c.

hbd, allison!

wishing a very happy birthday to a very lovely lady, miss allison!



life (& our housy) just would not be the same without you.

you are the best friend/roommate a girl could hope for...
you let me sing & dance around the house.
you laugh when i 'speak' different languages.
you are always willing to take a trip with me (next...vegas, germany!).
you never say no to drunk brunch or trip to chocolate bar.
...and oh so much more!

cheers allie.
here's to 25x25 more years!!

c.

weekend re-cap.

yesterday i accompanied dahnya on a hunt to find her wedding dress. the store was full of hundreds & hundreds of dresses. tulle, satin, silk...sequins, beads, and pearls, all spilling out into the aisles made the experience magical. i felt like i was in someone's secret closet. a closet filled with beautiful gowns just waiting to make their future owner tear up as she steps onto the platform to see herself in the mirror, illuminated by the elegant chandeliers hanging above her. i have never felt more girly.

...our blushing bride looked lovely in each gown, and i cannot wait for the wedding (in mexico!) to see her walk down the aisle in her dream dress.

it's astonishing how expensive the dresses can be, and it makes me want to sew my own wedding dress! i miss sewing.

...



i am, admittedly, a very sentimental person. and while this is not a bad thing, it can lead to some 'pack-rat' tendencies. i.e. keeping labels from the clothes that i buy.
when i have a nice experience, be it a baseball game, a concert or, in this case, a shopping trip with my friends--i like to keep a token from the event as a reminder of the things that make me happy. yesterday's shopping trip was so much fun & i am fighting the urge to retain the tags from my favorite jeans. of course it does not help that j.crew has simply elegant marketing which only tempts me more to throw this label into my box of keepsakes, instead of the trash can.
i fear that i will end up on old woman with boxes & boxes of junk.
eek!

ok, on with another monday. enjoy!

c.

sat.ur.day.

saturday mornings are so wonderful. whether you choose to relax & sleep in or wake up early to make the most of the day...the endless possibilities make saturdays special.

i went on an early morning bike/run/bike tour. surprisingly, a cool breeze has replaced the thick humidity in houston, and i was greeted by nice temperatures as the sun came up. (it was a beautiful, bright orange/coral color). another aspect of a morning run that i enjoy is seeing other runners/bikers. i feel a camaraderie with other 'early-risers'. the little waves & breathy hello's connect me to their world, and it feels nice to be a part of something that is so simple and natural.

next on the agenda is (in no particular order):

• breakfast (with coffee & hand-squeezed grapefruit juice)
• laundry (clean sheets again!!)
• shopping (clothes, clothes, clothes...)
• neighborhood walk (photo fest)
• ...

i hope that your saturday is every bit as charming as mine.

c.

the end.

just like a good book, turning the last page often comes all too quickly for other aspects of our lives. a most beloved book store, the bookstop, has closed its doors for good. while i would argue that the retro theater-turned-charming bookstore still had many pages to be written, upper management disagrees. it has been closed to shift business to the shiny, new barnes & noble down the street.

when i realized that it was really, really closing i took a walk over to the bookstop hoping to catch one last glimpse of a memory that i hold near my heart. line after line of cascading book cases filled with millions of stories; old favorites & new adventures were always a comforting greeting as i entered the store. as i slowly strolled around the block from my house i thought of the memories that would forever be locked inside this beautiful building.
it will always remind me of visiting my grandparent's house, as my mom would make a stop in the middle of the 3-hour drive from sour lake to el campo to treat us each to a book of our choice. it was always a hard decision: amelia bedelia or mr. popper's penguins? the silver slippers or the secret garden? the baby-sitters club or sideways stories from wayside high?

and now, as i look over at my overflowing shelf of books--i cannot help but attribute my insatiable need for simple black ink on paper that transforms words into sentences into paragraphs into stories...to these little trips when i was a child.

i was fortunate enough to live around the corner from this cozy treasure for the past few years, and it's safe to say that i will dearly miss my old friend.
here's to you, bookstop.

the end.



c.

p.s. i think that i will drown my sorrows with a night of beer & bingo. wish me luck!

stemmed soldiers.

i made canapes for some friends tonight.
it was nice to share the baked brie, mozzarella/pesto bruschetta, italian olive & cherry tomato mini kebobs, pistachio-crusted goat cheese with raspberry jam and a glass of wine.

life is lovely.

i miss traveling. there is so much more of the world to see!

c.

beautiful bubbles.

my car took a bath today.
look at all of those vibrant, soapy colors!



i hope to bring my polaroid along next time. can you just imagine how amazing this shot would be on instant film?

c.

life, live!

i had a wonderful weekend of celebrations in san antonio.
i love the reactions to the shots. it's terrifyingly hilarious.

Birthday Festivities. from camilleschroder on Vimeo.

it's nice to be back to my normal routine of cooking. tonight we enjoyed black bean tacos with homemade tortilla chips & guacamole.
and just look at the beautiful mango!!!

sweet dreams,

c.

p.s. does anyone (ahem, whitney) know if you can put music to the videos you upload on vimeo?

masterfully remastered.

reid gave me a digitally remastered copy of abbey road.
it.is.phenomenal.

the music has always been amazing. at any given point at least 1 beatles song is tumbling around in my head, but this remastered version is quite simply, mind-blowing!

i am off to purchase the remastered sgt. peppers...immediately.

i love my boys.
and their skinny, skinny ties.


so dreamy.

thanks brother,
c.

post visit post, part II.

street lights.
glowing.
happen to be.
just like.
moments.
passing.
in.front.of.me.

welcome to houston through nico's eyes!
i think that it's simply fantastic.

tschuss,
c.

post visit post.

today i received two beautifully handmade post cards in my little mailbox. both from my friend, nico, who just finished his 2-week visit to houston.
this is the first of the two that i read. it was taken on a walk around my neighborhood at twighlight.

i feel so lucky to have this geologist/photographer/salsa-dancer/thinker/writer/friend in my life.
merci, nico nico!

i'll share the 2nd of the set tomorrow.

bisous.
c.

sudsy summaries.

clean sheets!



i am currently washing my sheets, and i simply cannot wait to curl up in them tonight. a clean set of florally fragrant sheets makes for a better night's sleep (in my experience).
they are just so cozy!

i realized today that the flight i won to 'cabo' is actually two vouchers giving me permission to fly anywhere in the u.s., mexico, or canada! this poses quite the conundrum for me as it has made my decision exponentially harder. there are so many places that i would like to visit: montreal, alaska, portland, san francisco, cabo, boston, and more, and more, and more!
i am trying to stay calm, and develop a plan to facilitate the decision-making.
any suggestions?!

oh, to spend my life traveling the globe. what a treat that would be....
c.

hbd, bob!

the happiest of birthday wishes to a beautiful mother!
we had a wonderful weekend of birthday celebrations, and wish for many, many more to come.

all my love, bobacita!
c.

p.s. apologies for the extended hiatus. i hope to return to regularly scheduled posts asap.

be still my heart.