Springtime

April was good to me.... April was really good.  Not only was my mom able to go back to work but I was able to go back to work as well.  I found a great, small part time job on Craigslist and it enabled me to still pursue photography while bringing in a little money.  But one thing led to another and my part time job is now a full time job and it continues to bring more surprises each day.  It's not for sure yet, but come June I might be flown out to Massachusetts to take professional photos of Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Tish Hoch, and USWNT's Heather O'Rielly (and for anyone who doesn't speak sports language, those are all huge U.S. soccer stars) for Berkshire Soccer Academy's Team First event, and what makes it more exciting is that James gets to come with me and we get to live out together there for a few weeks!  Sports photography has never been my forte, but getting paid to take professional photos of soccer celebrities is not the worst thing in the world by any measure!  I am so thankful to have this opportunity seemingly dropped into my lap; BSA has been very good to me!

The most exciting thing to happen in April was the opportunity to shoot my first wedding! UUuhhhh can you say, surreal?!  I was originally supposed to have an assistant but the day before the wedding an emergency presented itself and she could no longer help me.  After about 10 minutes of utter panic I regained composure and mentally prepared for the task ahead, and let's just say all in all the day was GREAT!  There were multiple times where I had to fake like I knew what I was doing, but ultimately everything went off without a hitch and I got some amazing photos.  Being the photographer has got to be one of the funnest jobs you can have at a wedding--you really get free reign the whole day to go wherever you want and make people do whatever you need.  You get to see all the behind-the-scenes and you get priority position at any given time.  I think the scariest thing about shooting a wedding is being your own boss, and what I mean by that is that when it's just you taking all the photos (no assistant, side shooter, etc.) no one else is able to see what you're producing and no one else is able to offer you any constructive criticism or guidance--it's all on you to know that you're doing well and getting the right shots.  Also, if you miss an important moment, there's no one there to bail you out with a backup shot.  I had multiple nightmares leading up to that day, nightmares where I envisioned myself coming home and realizing that every photo I took was out of focus.... But I'm happy to report that was not the case.  The ceremony was maybe the most stressful 30 minutes of the day, and knowing where to stand and the right time might be a job in itself, but after that was over I was extremely at ease.  I think shooting this wedding solidified my desire to pursue wedding photography.  Not because it's where the money is, and not because of the romance, but because to capture someone's wedding day is a job you can't help but love doing.  As I edit the photos I have a huge grin on my face because I'm happy for them, but I'm also happy that my work will be with them for the rest of their lives!  Delivering never felt so good. :)

This month we also had a few visitors; my aunt, uncle, and their 2 gold retrievers drove across the country with their RV and spent a week living in our driveway.  They left their house at the end of march, drove through Utah's national parks, skied in Colorado, and stopped in at the Long Beach Grand prix before making it to us, and now they have gone up the west coast through all our big cities and are currently soaking up Oregon's Crater Lake.  They plan to return home sometime in May when they are done exploring... I'm so jealous!

Last weekend my sister and brother-in-law announced to the world that they are going to be parents come October.  I have known about it for some time but I haven't been allowed to tell anyone or share my photos, so now I can say I'm pretty excited about it!  I'm sure you will be seeing a lot of maternity photos in the next few months, and a ton of newborn photos come holiday season. ;P

Today I got contracted to take photos at a baby shower in La Mesa and tomorrow I'm headed up to Long Beach for the day to photograph my niece and nephew's first communion.  I don't know what it is about holding a camera in my hands, but I seriously love it.  I can't wait for what's next!

(after 9 hours of shooting and being on my feet I made James take a photo to commemorate the day!)

I don't intend to post a lot of my photography work on this blog because I don't want to inundate those who come here just looking to find out more about what the Doskocil's are up to, but if you are interested please feel free to subscribe to my Photo Blog here.  

Just Like That

"You never know the biggest day of your life is going to be the biggest. The days you think are going to be big ones are never as big as you make them out to be in your head. It's the regular days, the ones that start out normal, those are the days that end up being the biggest."

--Izzy Stevens

For quite some time I've been looking for a new job, one that means health insurance and a stable, calculable income, and for months I've come up with nothing.  James got hired "temp-to-hire" at Yamaha in September and while we are hopeful his contract will be bought out in December (meaning he will come on board as a Yamaha employee, with all the amazing benefits), I'd rather be safe than sorry.  

Ever since my hip surgery in March I have longed for a job that would get me off my feet. I don't know if I will ever forgive myself for cutting my rehab short and going back to work before I was painfree. I worry I've done more harm than good, working long walking hours to make ends meet while James was unemployed, and I'm honestly too scared to go back to the Ortho doctor, out of fear he will confirm that I've done more damage and that I need another surgery.  

This past Wednesday I was off from work at Stacked, about to start my day which consisted of errands and laundry when I got a phone call asking me if I had time for an interview today or tomorrow for a job opportunity that opened up.  I thought I should play it safe and pick "tomorrow" so that I'd have time to prepare, but in the end I was asked to come in merely two hours later because they had already booked interviews for the next day.  Such short notice!  I printed out the latest copy of my resume and hurried to curl my hair before pounding down an iced coffee and running out the door.  I felt wholly unprepared and a little rusty when I showed up to speak with the President and Vice President, but apparently I wow'ed them nonetheless.  They gave me the usual lip service, telling me they really liked speaking with me and that they'd get back to me the next day.  I drove home thinking I wouldn't tell anyone about this, like it never happened, because I probably wasn't going to get the job, and last time I interviewed for a job I told everyone about it just to let them all down when I didn't get picked.  As I was trudging up the stairs to our apartment I got a text from a number I didn't recognize-- "U got the job!" 

I called them back and it turns out they cancelled their interviews for the next day, and I start on Monday! :)

I wish I felt total relief or excitement at that moment, and admittedly I did a little bit, but if you know me you know that I hate confrontation and all I could think about was how I was going to explain to Stacked that I needed to quit on the spot.  The next morning I walked into the restaurant with as much confidence as I could muster, and in what has to have been an act of God, the one manager I preferred to speak with just happened to be there, and in a great mood.  He took it so well! I was honest and told him I had been working towards this for a long time, that my family needed this and that I needed this, for my health's sake.  He was completely agreeable and actually gave me many congratulations. He reassured me of my strong work ethic and said I am great.  And that I'd be great.  And that if I ever needed anything, including one last free meal, that he'd take care of me.  And most importantly, that I didn't even need to put in a two-week's notice.  And then the relief and excitement really came.  Even in my wildest dreams I could never have pictured that conversation going so well. I bounced out of there and home to my husband to tell him the good news. :)

So today was my last day of part-time life, and I have to say I am a little sad.  I will miss my mornings drinking tea and catching up on chores and tv shows.  I will miss lunch dates with friends and being able to make appointments at non-peak hours (when the working folk get their stuff done).  But I will tell you what I won't miss, I won't miss the inconsistent hours, or financial instability that came of it, I won't miss working on holidays and weekends, I won't miss the girl-drama or the not finding out about my schedule until the week before, but most of all I won't miss coming home with swollen feet and aching joints.  Call me and old lady, but that is truly my favorite part!

Timing is a funny thing.  It's like you try so hard to make something happen, you try for such a long time and you try every avenue possible, and nothing happens.  You wake up expecting to fold laundry and stay in your pajamas most of the day, and the next thing you know you're driving to the next biggest opportunity life has to offer.  One of those times where, in the blink of an eye, your whole life changes. Just like that. I guess everything does happen for a reason, and I'm so glad.

Dog Days of Summer

As you may or may not know, James was laid off almost 2 months ago and I am now more than ready to leave my current serving job in order to work full time.  We have both been applying to hundreds of jobs, going on countless interviews, and getting our hopes up and down faster than the Tower of Terror ride.... but all of it really has me wondering, if it keeps not working out, maybe there's a reason why.  I guess what I keep asking myself is where to draw the line of desperately needing something, anything, to tide us over for the rest of the year, versus holding out for the job that will make me happiest in the long run.  As much as I want a 9-5 with a 401k and health bennys, I want to make sure I pick the right one.  And something else I can't escape is the feeling that I'm leaving any and every hope of being a graphic designer in the dust.  I am an artist, I'm creative, I can't go more than a few days without making some new little thing in Illustrator, but is it really anything someone would pay me to do for a living?  A girl can dream.  Even in my current job situation I feel stifled by the lack of encouragement and the overwhelming sense of competition.  People take the fun out of serving others and turn it into a game which inevitably screws over the people who are there to work hard.  I like to think I am one of the hard workers, but it's just so difficult to keep working hard when you feel you are being taken advantage of.  It seems like an easy choice, just pursue my dreams, but when you are barely scraping by on monthly payments and can't even go to the doctor's due to lack of insurance, it makes the decision a bit more complicated.  I mean, I guess it's something I just have to keep praying about and thinking about, and hopefully soon something will pan out.  Until then, I found this cool comic that more than expresses my current frustration (Click on link below):

Bigger here

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!

Can't Be a Queen Bee Without a Bee Throne

I can honestly say I hardly ever crack open my actual computer anymore; more often than not I just do all of my internet stuffs via my beloved iPhone (which excludes blogging, since Blogger doesn't have an app!).  But tonight I get a night off(?) from most busyness and I thought I'd write a little....

It's been exactly one month since I moved into my new apartment and my fondness of it has only grown.  Sure, it's a long drive to work, but aside from that it is wonnnderful.  I just got a fridge yesterday, so 4 hours and 8 magic erasers later my new-to-me fridge is looking brand new, and I am finally able to buy real food again!  Don't get me wrong, I love pasta, but pasta every other night (along with pop-tarts, bread, and top ramen) is getting old.  Yesterday was an unbearably hot day to be moving a fridge from Long Beach to Anaheim, so we most definitely got to try out our pool for the first time.  Tonight while I was vacuuming James stopped me to say, "Amanda, I love our little place."  And we surveyed it together, from our fridge and new tea station, to the living room that's still coming along and constantly changing arrangements, to our little Ikea table and chairs... It's really an awesome little first home and we can't wait to finally live in it together.

Last weekend was my bridal shower and it was perfect.  I felt like time flew by, but I suppose that's good compared to other showers I've been to that drag on.  My maids of honor, Deb and Kayla, did an amazing job with not only the decorations but also with the events and the whole atmosphere of the afternoon.  I was impressed with how many people were actually able to come, and with how many wonderful gifts we got!  I finally have silverware! And cups! Ahhh!! I wish I had some more pictures for you from the shower, but unfortunately I didn't get to snag any as I was pretty busy.

On a side note, can I just add that I have the best moms?  Both my own mom and my future mother-in-law have been such a huge help to us this past month I don't know what I would do without them.  I guess our wedding countdown is truly winding down (40 days!), but with all of the last minute surprises and stress that's cropped up this month, they've been there for me and helped me through.  I got my wedding dress fitted and sent it in for alterations and seeing the dress on me got me very excited for our day.... that, and all these people getting married and engaged! August just needs to be here already!

[our new coffee/station... PTL for Starbucks benefits]

I've got two big interviews this week but before I jinx it and talk all about them, I'll just say God is good and more than surpasses what I ever feel I "need."

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

-Matthew 6:31-33