THANK YOU.

Ohhhhh this year. So many things have happened this year that have shaped who I am. Who I am as a person, yes, but also as an artist.  How I express myself.  Through music, dance, photographic imagery, fashion, drawings, writing.  If you haven't caught on yet, my work is always autobiographical.  If it isn't, I'm not being true to myself.  Believing in myself and my work is one of the hardest parts of being an artist.  It's so interesting to review my old archives (of old blogs or of photographs) and see the change, the growth.  A year ago, 2009, on this exact date I was so different.  When I read my old posts it doesn't even sound like me (to me)...It's a strange feeling to know I wrote them but it feels like I'm peeking into someone else's journal.  I also love reading my 101 in 1001 list from last year (published on December 31, 2009!).  I can't even believe that was one year ago!  I feel so accomplished but I'm kind of running out of ideas for more goals.  Can you believe it?  Maybe you have some good ones.

Here's some things that happened in 2010:
Got a dSLR camera - (technically I bought it in 2009 but it didn't arrive until January 2010)
Ran my first 5k (haha!  I just reread that story...I'm glad it didn't rain that day ;)
Got my driver's license
Started praying in the morning
Drove on the freeway for the first time
Got a 50mm f/1.8 II
Received the 35-80mm as a gift
Shot color and b&w film on my film SLR
Photographed my first senior - Emily Robinson!
Second-shot my first wedding
Shot my first engagement session
Shot my first maternity session
Dug into my style, brand, and identity
Learned discovering your style, brand, identity is a life-long process
My Grandpa Harry died
Drove myself to school for the first time
Began taking a hiatus from ballet (...to ensure I can make Madrigal's callbacks)
Began to sponsor my child through Compassion International

Lastly, I want to give a huge thank you to all my clients this year!  It's been a good one.  I loved meeting every single one of you.  Thank you for your trust in letting me capture images of you.  I appreciate your support.  To my future clients of 2011, I cannot wait to meet and collaborate with you to create visionary imagery of your most honest self.  And to my blog readers!  I could never forget you!  You mean so much to me; you have no idea.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  :)  Happy New Year everyone!  Here are a few favorites from the year:

SOUP WEATHER & A MERRY CHRISTMASTIDE

it feels so very freeing to not want loads of stuff for christmas.  to enjoy the little things with people we love.  to laugh with friends and eat.  eat, eat, eat.  love that part.  ;)  which means lots of baking: something i am not very talented at.  time to wear ugly sweaters.  (the father calls them "stupid sweaters.")  i must admit as a young child it was all about the stuff.  that want -- nagging desire, desperate need (what i thought was a need) -- was all it was about.  it's funny that every year when i got that "thing" the next year i would need something else.  that desire was never fulfilled.  i still read the nativity story and acted like a good girl at church and made Jesus ornaments but that was all on the outside.  and Christ cares more about the inside.  by far.

this year i stressed about stuff also.  not what i wanted but what i was going to give to the people i love.  what do they really want?  and how do you get that want off the tip of their tongue?  ugh.  it's a hard process.  gifts just seemed to not express enough love.

so this christmas it's about the inside.  the giving of love, the thankfulness, the peace the Holy Spirit brings.  it boggles my mind when i read the nativity story in context of biblical prophecy and realize how powerful our God is.  it amazes me every time.  that He would take the form of a human like us, live among us, and die so that we may live.  living for Him makes that nagging desire whole.



& today i live.

MAKING CARDS

A bitter December storm is brewing outside right now (no snow though!) but I'm cozy inside sipping a hot chocolate with marshmallows from Starbuck's which was actually a Secret Santa gift.  I'm getting so pro. at shopping for Secret Santa's this year!  I'm participating in...three?  Pretty awesome!  Today's the first official day of Christmas break.  Ooooh.  Ahh!  Yummm.  I'm a happy girl.  :)  I spent several hours making our Christmas cards for the year in the past weeks and today i finished them!  It was so much fun.  The watercolor one is for my sponsor child in Thailand and the rest are being sent to our family (shout out to Cali, Texas?, Oregon, and New Hampshire!  I think that's it...).

How's your Christmas coming along?  I love Christmas, but I'm more of the "simple pleasures Christmas" kinda gal.  This was the first year in a long time that my family has gotten a real Christmas tree!  I pushed for it hard and it was so fun getting one.  His name is Napoleon.  (As in, my most favorite name everrr.)  He's a noble fir from the Home Depot.  Last week was also my high school's combined choir, orchestra, and band concert and then Friday+Saturday was the dance concert.  SO completely stressful but worth it in the end.  God is good.  I also went to the Messiah last week which was incredible.  That's always one of my favorite things to do during Christmas.  Here are my Christmas cards!  Which ones are your favorites?



 

 

My top favorite is the two snowmen in love.  :)  And of course the manger scene one.  I gotta go paint my nails or at least take of this horrendous chipping polish!  I can't stand it anymore.  Ciao!