It’s Christmas!

Insecurities

Not going to lie, I feel a bit insecure about my camera, mostly when I’m around other photographers holding their Canon and Nikon cameras twice the size of my Sony.

I was asked to photograph a birthday party last weekend and I guess one of the parents showed up with a very professional looking camera equipped with a large flash and everything. I felt so inadequate and I think it showed.

But anyway, everyone has insecurities right? Just have to keep focusing on myself and doing me.

My first family session gig

Wendy and her cute little family is just adorable. I have so much respect for families with two kids. They are a lot to handle. An hour and a half running around with them was more exercise than  I’ve had the entire year. I was exhausted by the end of the shoot, but the good kind of exhausted.

Man I have some thick glasses

Attempted to take a pic with my pup but all he wanted to do was sniff my jacket.

Anywho, so yes, my thick glasses. This may be one the last few pictures I will have of them. Why you ask? Because this 30 yo is finally taking the plunge into LASIK. Come January, I will no longer experience the conundrum of not being able to find my glasses because I can’t see and I can’t see because I can’t find my glasses.

What’s been on my mind

The minimalists.

Specifically, these guys: http://www.theminimalists.com

And if you have Netflix, you can watch their documentary “Minimalism.” I highly recommend it. When Kallen and I finished watching it last night, I kept hoping for more.

I’ve been reading their blog and listening to their podcasts for the past month. It’s helped me simplified certain thoughts I’ve been having, whether it was debt, work, passion, or personal relationships.

Their question is simple–Have you ever considered living a more meaningful life? How about living a more meaningful life with less? Less stuff. Less distractions. Allowing room for more time, more freedom.

I love their concept. I highly recommend their blog and podcasts as well (especially the one about debt!)

We’re a long way from ever calling ourselves minimalists (although Kallen might already be one, the guy buy clothes like once a year, if even), but it feels good to want to actively pursue a more meaningful life. Getting rid of excess things we don’t need/use (lots of de-cluttering Kallen and I need to do, we know). Buying things more deliberately and doing things with intention.

You may think minimalism is a crazy idea to throw around, especially in light of Christmas just 5 days away! Truth be told, Christmas is not my favorite holiday. It comes with so much anxiety and stress from obligations to get gifts for people. So you can bet how excited I was that this year, our family of 7 siblings decided to partake in Secret Santa instead. Woohoo!! Big sigh of relief over here. Kallen and I decided not to do gift exchanges either, and I like it!

 

 

 

Win-lose

Chopped my hair to save 15 minutes of getting ready in the morning, but wish it didn’t take me an additionally 30 min to style my hair like above. Win-lose situation.

Feels nice…

It’s such a satisfying feeling to see your work printed!! Even more, I love seeing which pictures they love most. Feels nice. 🙂

Animals out of paper, the play

Lily, the stage manager!

The play was so intimate, it was held in a classroom-sized room with just 2 rows of chairs on either side.

Thanks to Lily, we finally went out and did something on a Saturday (and with the heavy rain, we were really close to canceling). Even better, we saw an intimate play put on by post-graduates (who could easily be paid actors on TV they were so good). The event was free and definitely worth the traffic-filled drive to SF and stress of finding parking thanks to SantaCon. But we would have easily paid $50 bucks to see it. The writing/storyline, the actors, the intricacies of incorporating all 10+ actors in a show that only has 3 characters (even though it confused the hell out of Kallen), just all so good.

So proud of Lily for her awesome work on this well known play. Slightly envious she gets to do this as her job. 😏

Chopped!

When your sisters and friends are your biggest supporters:

And when your husband kinda freaks out but don’t want to show it. Lol:

The end result was so worth the hour long freak out I had during the process. Every time her scissors came near my neck, the more I doubted my decision. But this might be the big change I needed. Such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, literally. 15 inches gone. No regERts. Haha

Oh Pandora, you know me so well