all the summer dillemas

When summer vacay hits in and you have so much time on your hands. What do you do to make the constant dillemas stop flowing your way? So much time to think about stuff is not so good. This year, unfortunately, I spend my summer at home, where the weather is very unpredictable. We get a lot of rain and rare truly summery days. I found the most comfortable place ever to pull through it, my bed. It's been so long since I wrote anything. It must be because I have this weird thing about not being able to reach perfection. Once I realize I cannot reach perfection, my motivation drops. This is very unhealthy to live such a life.

cooking, baking, photographing

With the post-Christmas syndrome crawling up my spine, in late 2014 and thanks to Canon AE-1 Program (mostly the way it captures light and shadow) - I think I became more into the kitchen/food photography. Or more like atmosphere of eating and preparing. So I think it's safe to say that during the following year this is one of a variety of topics that I would like to focus on. Film photography is not something modern photography books talk about. The rules are simple, and looks like no one wants to explore it further. There is bunch of stuff on food photography in digital, photoshop editing skills etc. Finally, there are magazines like Kinfolk, to produce high quality food related articles. Sadly, Kinfolk is something I possibly will always think my budget is not suitable for. Is any of you a subscriber of the magazine? I'm often on the edge of buying it, to be honest. So let's say I'm on a hunt right now, I will surely let you know when I find some useful books or cheaper Kinfolk alternatives. And since my Canon is back from the repair (yes, I already managed to kill something in it, but fortunately someone managed to fix it for me) I am ready to start a new chapter in my analogue journey.

I never owned a cookbook, but now my sis does. Nowadays, when you can easily use the internet, are cookbooks still needed? My sister got one from her amazing husband for Christmas this year and she is very very excited to own it. She immediately bought ingredients she had never heard of before, ready to master techniques she had had no clue about. Is it what cook books are about? Changing your life completely? Throwing your basic favourite dishes away and settling for exotic cuisine? Oh my. Her new cooking book, "written" by some Polish model, was one of the items she wanted to have photographed in her new apartment, so I did. I always want to photograph beautiful things. I won't probably be around to photograph what she makes out of it, but this one I can't help.

little daily disappointments.

Kaffka Bistro has been around for over two months. we decided to visit at the end of August, giving it some time to grow and expand. By looking at the photographs of Kaffka, I got an impression that this is just the kind of a place I am going to love. White brick walls, Instagram snaps on little strings, big table, some work space, little birdy details. Sugar with white rose petals and lavender. Oh my. This is why this post is going to be filled with so much sorrow, because I really set my expectations high this time.

postcards from O

I open my eyes each morning, often awaken after a bad dream, and I crave caffeine and you. I go downstairs to quickly make myself a dose of the first one, the latter need stays unfulfilled. The most probable is that I am going to go with the flow, wherever it may lead me. I miss you, my person, very much. 

I am sort of in love with the top photograph. Old town is the only place in my city where something is happening. We don't get the loud & social evenings B has, but that view of that place makes me reminisce. We are so damn old already. I still need training when it comes to 800 iso film. It's a great challenge for me, I think. Just how you learn to focus properly, you have to learn what conditions to shoot under. It's not so easy peasy. How weird is that when I get a white coffee without any art on it, I am a little disappointed? One of my favourite coffee stores in B seriously spoiled me in that respect. They get you teddy bears, tigers, and much more. Even if you're, like us, crashing their place half an hour before closing, for a late night date of cappucino.

Next week we are going to Varsovie for a couple of days, and it's lovely how hard you try to make me travel through B while I'm on my way over there. Expect some photographs once I'm back. I still have some time in my beloved O, even though all my molecules dream to be somewhere else. Time flies, seriously. Soon enough new numbers will be welcomed into my life, 8 months, year three,  2015. 

If you're interested in advertising your blog on Dipped in Rococo, here is something for you. You can always swap a freebie (ad swap) or book it if it's currently taken.

mornings

One of the things that stole my heart in January was having breakfasts outside of my apartment. Friday, a day with a few lectures and a philosophy class. Definitely the highlight of the week, long anticipated, finally arriving. I definitely loved January Fridays. One I spent in Gdansk, second, (almost the whole day) in bed, third- started with a little walk in this chilly weather to get my dose of American pancakes and some fresh perspective on what this town has to offer. ;)

distance of the modern hearts

This is what happens, when you decide to go to a concert, loving the music, but not quite knowing how the artists look like. And suddenly, boom, you end up in the second row, in front of a stage filled with absolutely hot guys, whose moves literally give you goosebumps, but at the same time warm you up from the inside. This cannot be described in a way other than, it was bloody marvellous. And the fact that we got our tickets signed afterwards, and that I actually spoke with T, and I decided to speak my mind for once (complimenting him in a very definite way), it all made it worth it. Absolutely worth the lack of sleep that I got the following night. Their energy was amazing, their moves as equally. So it's fair to say, I'm hooked on Melt, T and the way he smiled at me, when he said he noticed me during the concert. Life=made. My friend said that if we continue to be crazy and talk to them this way, we'll soon be crushing their afterparties. I would certainly not mind, so I'm not giving up on being my charming little self. 

There are certain moments in life, which make you want to just squeeze them, put in your heart and mind, and never let go. Even though I ended up being picture-less (I actually think a polaroid would be the best option for me to buy and use on such gigs, great place for the autographs as well, damn) my mind repeats it over and over. Coming to a general conclusion about that night, platonic crushes are the best, in a world where all you do is study, eat and sleep (with drinking occuring way too rarely), I love beats that seem to break my ribs, sometimes being somebody's last choice might actually turn out to be very rewarding if you just close your eyes, take a deep breath and feel the rhythm. Maybe I should just drop everything that ties me down, and become a groupie? A groupie, who desperately needs a haircut, though.

Life goes on rapidly. I seem to be bruising easily nowadays, and I mean both, literal (as you can see above) and metaphorical meaning of that word. Sometimes I feel like all I see is flashing lights. People growing closer, people growing apart, learning to let things go or to finally let myself go and have fun. I am so glad to finally be able to start planning my summer trips, since I officially got my first scholarship payment today. As you can see, I seem to have so much luck these days, (I also got 3 Red Bulls instead of 1, out of a vending machine on Wednesday :D) so I'm clearly enjoying my existence, which I suppose is why I find myself smiling more. Nothing, and I mean nothing, no one, not one thing in this whole world, is going to spoil that, because I simply won't let it. 

I think we can say that November is over. I'd predicted it would be a hell of a month, but instead I ended up being more social, talkative, and welcomed a bit of self-awareness into my life, that I never though would be there by now. I managed to catch up with J, had a blast at a birthday party (a separate post coming for sure, as soon as I free the pictures that are stuck in my current roll, which I fail to finish), attended the PTTS Warsaw conference and finally saw Kamp!, all that in one month that I thought would leave me studying twenty four/seven. Last week made me add two more things to my happy jar, which will be emptied in exactly one month and one day, on New Year's Eve. I'm way too picky when it comes to putting things in that jar. Or maybe it's just that I have not felt truly content in a long time. Have a lovely December guys! I'm off with my first caffeine dose and physiology for the rest of today.

S i n g  b e f o r e  b r e a k f a s t,  c r y  b e f o r e  n i g h t.

Lomo side of the story: I more than loved my first roll of Kodak Ultramax 400, and I swear if it wasn't for the price of it, I would come back to that film more often. November was not a golden age for my camera, since my life has been one big school routine since October. Now that the scholarship money is around, a new lens might make an appearance in my life, who knows! :)