"I want to ride my bi-cy-cle!"

I really couldn't help it. From the moment I stepped out of my car and enter the Ann Arbor Bicycle Show & Swap Meet I couldn't get this song out of my head.

In reality I really would like to ride my bicycle. It was a fancy gift to myself (thank you stimulus check!) I suppose I should get it out of storage and have the tires pumped up!

Below are a few of my favorites from the many photos I took of the show for AnnArbor.com today. We should all ride bicycles a little bit more.

This is Joel Flood from Philadelphia. He and his buddy traveled to the swap meet with nearly 70 bikes placed inside and strapped to the exterior of this mini van and trailer.

A love for something old

I came across my first piece of vintage Pyrex at an antique store in Kalamazoo. Up until then I only knew the Pyrex brand from the label on the bottom of a standard glass measuring cup.

I did some research (even bought a book!) and learned that the glassware was very popular in the 40's, 50's and 60's because it was affordable, durable and came in a variety of colors and patterns. Colors and patterns? Straight to my heart!

Nowadays, Pyrex can be found at most flea markets and antique stores for very affordable prices and you can often find pieces in great condition. I certainly enjoy finding new patterns and shapes to add to my collection, but I also like the idea of furthering it's life and respecting something from the past.

Below is a photo of the red bowl I picked up for $8 this past weekend at the Ann Arbor Antiques Market. It was one of only 6 pieces I saw at the entire market! Certainly not a huge inventory.


Here is how you know something is indeed Pyrex. Just flip the piece over and look for this stamp.


A few of my favorite pieces. The small white bowl with orange poka-dots I bought at a garage sale for $.25!


My handy salt container. I really like to use my Pyrex, what good is it sitting on a shelf?

4/20: A Hippie New Year

I photographed the 4/20 Super Jam at the Blind Pig this past Tuesday for AnnArbor.com and had a blast! The night was full of tunes and groove and reminded me of some awesome nights hanging out with my Muncie homies dancing the night away! (Miss you guys!) The band was comprised of Ann Arbor favorites the Macpodz with special guests jumping on stage to play along.

Photos © AnnArbor.com 2010

Self portrait

I had some time to kill in between a couple of assignments last week and ended up hanging out in my car listening to NPR while I waited. I started messing around trying to take photos of myself, much to the amusement of those passing by, and I came away with his photo.

Vintage finds

I checked out the first weekend of the Ann Arbor Antiques Market today with my mom and Mark. Lots of interesting items and people to look at.

How I love Danish Modern design! Threw in some peanut men for good measure.






These are antique chocolate molds. The large bunny on the left was made in 1937 and sells for $38,500! The merchant said that a solid chocolate bunny weighs 75lbs!


Meet Tulip! Middle name Bouquet! I kid you not.




These are string holders.


I guess one got away!!


Self portrait!

Chasing sunsets

It might not be considered hardcore, but I chase sunsets. I have no armored vehicle, no special tracking system, I just shoot em' when I see em'. Plus who wants to endanger themselves driving around in severe weather looking for tornadoes? The threat of a cow landing on my cute, little red Vibe is just to great. So I think I'll stick to chasing sunsets and rainbows and other pretty things. Perhaps one day I'll find a pot of gold?

For those who haven't seen my series UP, you can check out more photos of pretty things under landscapes.

FestiFoolin'

Oh my! What a cool event! I was assigned by AnnArbor.com to cover the annual Festifools parade in downtown yesterday and what a good time it was! Check out the video and some of my favorite snaps below. Here's a link to the article page.

Untitled from Melanie Maxwell on Vimeo.

Video © AnnArbor.com 2010

Photos © AnnArbor.com 2010

Sonny Browskey

I recently spent an afternoon with Sonny Browskey and his two youngest children Isabel and Angeles' for a story for AnnArbor.com. You can read it (and you should!) here. Sonny rents a room in a friend's house while his wife stays at a nearby homeless shelter. The kids stay with Sonny half the week while his wife looks for a job.

Photos © AnnArbor.com 2010

ARCHIVES: Player of the Year (Fall)

I've just wrapped up the winter season of AnnArbor.com's Player of the Year honoree portraits. I am going to wait for them to run in the paper before I post them here, so I thought I'd feature a few from the fall season (shot before I had mad bloggin' skillz.)

Photos © AnnArbor.com 2010

You know what they say about April showers...

After waking up to realize I left a window open in my living room and that's why there were little wet footprints throughout the house, I figured it'd be nice to remember what better weather looks like.

This is an outtake from a project I worked on last week for AnnArbor.com

No camera, no problem!

With my D3 sent into the techies over at Nikon, I've been feeling a little lonely lately. When my brother Jeff, sister Julianne and I decided to visit our mom and her boyfriend Mark out at his boat in Detroit for Easter this past Sunday, I decided to use what I have. And what I have is cell phone. I have been dumb-founded by what people can produce with cell phone cameras. I use mine mostly to photograph my cats. (Lucky them!) So here is my attempt at iPhone photography while out on a walk around the marina yesterday.

And just who is "top priority" around here?


This is where Mark and mom keep the boat, it's called a dockominium, get it? :)

Hanging around

I made this photo while shooting a control burn/demonstration for the community at Buhr Park for AnnArbor.com. Not even a field set on fire could distract this kid from playing with his dad.

If you, however, are interested in seeing a field set on fire then click ---> here.

©AnnArbor.com 2010