Crushed Pixels, Crushed Memories

Yesterday morning I made a rather large purchase and sprung for my first real camera.  I'm in no means a professional photographer nor do I ever intend to try to become one, but for a while (see: a few years) I have been wanting a point-and-shoot type camera that would give me high quality photos which could be printed out and taken seriously, like for family photos in our house someday.  That might seem like an oxy-moron, but I was determined to find it.  I didn't want the bulk or complexity of a DSLR camera, though many of my friends own them and have mastered them.  I just wanted something I could slip in my purse, or possibly even James' pocket, but it needed to perform and not just give me the same lousy digital camera pictures I've been capturing for the last 5 years.

I know there is no substitute for the quality and beauty that comes from DSLR cameras and lenses, but I think I have come pretty darn close, or in the case of my specific quest, I think I've found it.

Last week was my college graduation and during the ceremony I tasked my mom with taking photos on my camera as I crossed the stage.  I set all of my settings so that she would be prepared when my name was called, but what I got was disappointing to say the least, and it wasn't entirely my mom's fault.  Despite setting the mode, shutter speed, flash settings, aperture settings, and even adjusting the exposure and white balance, my graduation photo did not deliver.  Here is my proof:

Time for a new camera! We are making memories left and right at this time of life and it pains me to know they are passing by with little more than my phone camera to take them in. If for no reason other than our personal archives I want a high quality camera that will preserve these memories for thousands of years!

So, after much researching (months!) I narrowed down my choice and made a decision. After having my heart set on a Fujifilm x10s for a few solid months, I spontaneously changed my mind (due to some Fuji reviews claiming the same problem even in their newer models) and went with a Sony DCS-RX100.  Feast your eyes on my new baby!

Specs n Stuff: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sony-dsc-rx100

I got an email saying it has already shipped and now I only have to wait in eager expectation.  I really hope that I made a good decision and that it will be everything I hoped for (and researched!).  I'm sure you will see the results on this blog sooner than later, but until then, fingers crossed!

A Time for Everything

Yesterday marked one of my larger recent milestones, my college graduation!  Even though I finished my classes and received my diploma in December, it was a joy to officialize it by walking in the ceremony along with my fellow Human Development colleagues.  It was an incredibly fun and enjoyable day despite the anticipated sunburns and wait times; I was able to spend the day with the ones who love me most, at an unusually relaxing pace.  In the morning we slept in and then James ran out to grab coffee while I ironed my dress and got ready for the day.  He returned with my parents, up from San Diego, and we hopped in the car and drove to school.  Thanks to my almost-expired handicap parking pass we were able to find parking quickly and walk right in, and before I knew it the precessional was going and I was ushered into confetti and cheers as 1,092 of us took our seats.  The ceremony dragged along as they read thousands of names but oddly enough I didn't mind it at all.  Afterwards I reunited with my family, including my older sister Heather and her kids, and then it was off to dinner at Red Lobster where we met up with James' family too.  Dinner was full of laughter, and GOOD FOOD (for me hehe), and then James and I headed home for a quiet movie night in.  Truly a great day!

A few weeks ago my friend Danielle asked if she could take some graduation-esque photos of me for her website, which I gladly agreed to.  I never imagined my last few moments on campus would be spent limping around, but I did, and ended up getting a couple great shots in the process.  This school holds so many memories for me, from each stage of my short life, and graduation seems to mark so much more than just a scholastic achievement.  I'm happy to close this chapter in my life and move on to the next!

January and the Happs... happenings, that is.

I think the last time I wrote was just shortly after graduation... and now school is underway again! But not for me ^_^

Many people have asked, and I don't mind sounding like a broken record here, but I honestly LOVE being out of school and having very little scheduled on my plate each week.  I'm not even job hunting.  I have been made to feel very guilty and ashamed for admitting that I don't want to be working full time any time soon, because I would rather catch up on the life I missed the last 6 months (especially my new marriage), but I am trying to let those voices fall by the wayside.  I will have my entire life to work full time, and while we can afford it I would really just like to soak up life right now, exactly the way it is.  Got it? Ok.

Christmas came and went and what a lovely time it was.  I actually had time off this year so I was able to go home for an extended period of time and enjoy my family and San Diego, as well as getting much needed quality time with James before he returned to work and was inundated with his usual holiday load.

 

Now that it's the new year I feel like things are already changing, already new, without my even trying.  More and more I get the sense that I am living the life I have always held in the back of my mind, and that is one of the happiest feelings.  I notice it in the little things, like changing the way I dress and wear makeup, or how the light streams in through the bedroom window in the mid-afternoon, or even the way I spend my mornings reading with multiple cups of tea.... It's difficult to put into words but I really just love the way our life is coming together right now.

A week ago I cut off a chunk of my hair and donated it to locks of love; something that was never on my bucket list but which materialized in a moments notice leaving no time for regrets.  My long hair was so disgusting, for lack of a better word; it was damaged, uneven, fried, and lifeless.  I couldn't even get it to hold a curl anymore!  So I traded it in for a versatile short 'do which I am also quite happy about.

The flu AND sinus infection rolled through our little house starting on New Years Day and have claimed us both as victims.  I had never honestly called in sick to work, but this infection had me out for 12 days.  I think I secretly didn't mind, because it gave me an excuse to truly rest for days on end, which, if you know me (/us), that is practically unheard of.  I was so miserably ill that I could hardly take care of myself, let alone house upkeep, and I had to surrender and retreat to my bed with snacks and movies.

January brought more wedding planning for Heather and me, but I was also very delighted to attend the wedding of our dear friends Andy and Lauren Turner.  Their day was so beautiful, I just watched their wedding video yesterday and nearly cried.  It was my first wedding since my own and it was so cool to me to see how they did theirs differently, but to also have the relief of knowing mine is done and never has to be planned ever again!

Recently James also got a promotion at work, making him into one very happy camper.  It never ceases to amaze me how good his company is to their employees, and I have really seen that in the past few months as the holidays came and went.  Most days I'm jealous--I wish my boss would buy me a snuggie and bring me ice cream sandwiches on my birthday!  Either way, I'm very grateful and excited for this new turn in James' career, and I am always so proud of him for how hard he works to give us the life we have.

February means our 6-monthaversary... can you believe we've been married 6 months already?! I can't.  It feels like yesterday, but it also feels like 5 years ago.  It also dawned on me that now being graduated and married, along with a few other personal achievements, I have completed most all of the "second decade" goals that I made for myself post-high school, and have little that I long for.  Perhaps that's what's been morphing my time?

I still swoon every time I gaze at these guys too long.  Love my rings.

Right now a few of my favorite things are:

Daiso is my new favorite store--it is conveniently out by us in Anaheim and it is the cutest little Japanese $1.50 store, but it carries everything and it's NOT junk.  I know our dollar stores tend to carry cheap or generally crappy looking items, but this store sells everything from men's neckties, to women's slipper socks, to a fully stocked electronics section, and the BEST assortment of school/office supplies for those who like to keep it colorful, and it's actually good quality--I tell everyone about it!  I have to force myself to stay away most days, and I think from now on I'm going to start going in carrying only a specific amount of cash.  If you haven't been, or if you are in need of anything, you should definitely try Daiso.  Just off the 5 at Euclid!

 

Vine is a new app that just surfaced, very similar to Instagram but instead of photos it's a feed for 6-second video clips.  There are so many times that I have wished for an app like this, and now that it's here I'm elated.  I know they still have a lot of kinks to iron out but its so fun to make little video clips and also to be saving these snippets of our life.  I smell a complication in the near future...

Foster the People. Everyone knows them for their overplayed, hipster-esque "Pumped Up Kicks" and for this song I had crossed them off my list, labeling them as annoying.  But lately I heard a few more of their songs and I actually have been enjoying them very much.  Great music for cleaning the house ;D

So that's our January, into February we go! Next weekend I am going to my friend Melissa's wedding (not my bridesmaid Melissa, a different one!).  I am secretly really excited because it's my first ever African-American wedding.... did I just say that?! Anyways, I can't wait to witness another beautiful day for some precious friends, and also experience a great dance party! :P  Posts to come!

This year, to save me from tears, I gave it to someone special...

Part of me feels like apologizing for neglecting this blog recently, but the realistic side of me knows that blogging consistently nowadays is a rare feat.

The past month has been crazy and wonderful at the same time.  Crazy because as the semester was winding down I was struggling to complete my internship hours while balancing working and completing my endless class projects, but wonderful because I am now a college grad. :]  Not too much to comment on about that except that I'm stoked and I am glad to finally be afforded time to catch my breath, enjoy being a newlywed, and truly refocus on the things that are important to me.

My after-finals-week sentiments exactly.

For my Christmas/graduation gift my sweet hubby upgraded me to an iPhone 5, which was perhaps not the smartest thing to do during finals week.  I couldn't tell you what it does (more than the iPhone 4) but I know it's nice to have storage space again, seeing as my old phone had reached its capacity and could hardly take pictures anymore.  The camera on this phone is super spiffy, and I'm sure you'll reap the benefits of that here on my blog, especially since the last time I charged my real camera was on our honeymoon.  :P

Can I just comment on how much I am loving this holiday season? Last year was unfortunate, having to work through the holiday and being depressed as all get out, but this year has been so much more enjoyable and I am embracing it full on.  We put up our tree the week after thanksgiving and we have been playing Christmas music ever since, which is a first for me.  Being on our own has been nice too, because we can decorate and celebrate however we like.  We've even been to a few Christmas parties!  Last weekend we holed up for our first holiday movie of the season, sweetly aided by the lovely rainy weather we've been having.  Even in SoCal, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

This past week was exciting because one of my best friends got engaged.  Heather and I became neighbors when I moved into my apartment in June and since then we have really meshed together.  She has known James for close to 10 years and its always fun for me to listen to them reminisce about times past.  I am excited for what's in store for them and also to participate in the wedding-planning process from a different position this time... ;]

On Thursday James and I get to travel "home" to San Diego to be with my family a bit before returning to LB for the holiday.  I can't believe how quickly Christmas creeped up this year, but I suppose that just means 2013 is coming even sooner, and oh how I am looking forward to next year! 2012 has been good to me, probably the best yet, but I know 2013 is going to be a year of even more change for us, which is always exciting.  

More updates to come, check back soon!

Some Things I've Been Up To

Sometimes I don't blog because I just don't have the time.  Other times I don't blog because I don't have anything interesting to say.  One thing I know is that people like pictures, so here are some pictures of what I've been doing lately.

With my sister getting married in January I have been coming home for a lot of family weekends.  I have been missing my church family in LB on Sundays, but I absolutely love the time with these people in this picture.  Sometimes being away for so long makes me forget how blessed I am to have the family that I have.  This specific picture was last month (October) on my Dad's 61st birthday.

As 6 months together came and went, this silly guy has kept me laughing and loving life.  I'm so glad we are still able to date and pursue each other regardless of how long it's been--it makes everything more fun  :}  This particular picture is us on the pier at Seal Beach after a Ruby's dinner, just being...us.

(My new "Hipster" App turns my pictures into Hip Postcards! LOL)

This is Carmelitos where I do my Community Service Learning.  I work with children from the Carmelitos neighborhood (low-income housing projects) to mentor them, tutor them, play with them, and provide any other after-school help that they need.  I have also received a specific "mentee"that I mentor primarily..

This is my baby Nebula.

She has melted my heart.

I see her every Thursday and it is always one of the highlights of my week.  Working at Carmelitos has opened my eyes and softened my heart to these innocent children that have so much to give but so little opportunity.  I love to love on her, and the way that she squeals when I have barely walked through the door plasters a huge smile on my face that is hard to get rid of.

Instead of buying overpriced Christmas gifts for everyone this year I began a painting project so that I can paint things that I know my family and friends would like, and have them "mean" so much more than a petty gift.  The only difficulty is finding time to get out all the paints and make a mess.  On Veteran's day we had the day off from school, so I spent the whole day painting.  These are the beginnings of a few of the paintings I did for my little sister's future house (she loves Sanctus Real).

James never drank much Starbucks before we met, but now he's a loyal customer (can I say that?)!  Starbucks gets us through school and work, and those have been two very demanding things lately.  Before-school coffee visits make my day!  On the bright side, today I took my last midterm/submitted my last paper and I am free for the week for Thanksgiving break!  I will be spending the Holiday in Bakersfield with James' mom's side of the family, which should be fun.  I love bonding.  :]

Working Hard or Hardly Working?  Sometimes I'm not sure.  Yesterday I spent 16 straight hours in bed, doing a combination of napping/studying/writing/sleeping/home-working and preparing for this last day of school.  Some days I feel like I have conquered the world, but more often than not I'm just exhausted.  I will be sooo glad when December 15th rolls around and I can wash this semester off of me.  This is my last intensive school semester (5 classes/lab) and after this I think it's safe to say it's all down hill from here. 

 I just picked my Spring classes about 30 minutes ago and here is a look at my schedule:

In case this just looks like gibberish to you non-college people, it just means I have 3 classes and a lab, and from the reviews I've read online, my 8am class is a piece-of-cake elective (attendance is not even mandatory!).  Graduation is lurking...so, so close.....!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What I Got and Where I'm At

Today is registration day!

I was so excited for today because I was going to get into the 6 classes that I wanted (and their labs) and I would get to power through next semester and get this school thing back on track.  Then I would have 2 classes left for Spring and I would graduate next year and be done.

But now I have 4 classes and 1 lab.

After a series of headaches and disappointments regarding prerequisites and corequisites, I have established that I will now be graduating after Fall 2012, walking in Spring 2013.  I am unhappy, but I'm ok with it.  Maybe there's something bigger happening here.

²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?...³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  --Matthew 6