CHRISTmas.

Is is just me, or does anyone else weep when then hear the song "Christmas Shoes"? I dread hearing it played on the radio every year because it is just so sad! However, there is an incredible message behind it that I think we all can learn from :) That little boy was SO selfless. All he wanted for Christmas was to bless his mom with shoes so she would look beautiful when she went to meet Jesus. I have been thinking about it for the past few days and just can't seem to wrap my mind around it. Here I am, with a Christmas list that is the length of my body, hoping that I get at least a few things from it. The truth is, I don't need a back light for photography or Talladega Knights on DVD. I have already been blessed with every thing I need... salvation, a family who loves me, and a God who loves me even more!

The true meaning of Christmas can get lost in the anxiety of gift giving. Often we tend to be consumed with considerations of purchase prices and the shock-and-awe value of something, but really, if someone has put time into thinking about us, we should be grateful that they cared enough to think of us. So even if someone gives you something you won't use for a while, or may even NEVER use, just remember that it's the thought that counts. After all, Jesus got MYRRH for his birthday!

The real meaning of Christmas is not to be in a giving mood (though that is part of the spirit of the holiday season) it is about the spectacular birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! So just keep that in mind as you open presents like potpourri and contact solution on Christmas Day :)

Some Things

Par request of a friend, this post features the paper I had to write for my Graduation Project at Agora...

For my graduation project, I chose to job shadow some ladies at Studio M Photographic. I chose this location because I am very interested in photography and want to start my own photography and design business after college. Since Studio M is where I currently work, it was pretty easy to get an internship with them.

Studio M is a high-end portrait studio that offers both imaging and design. For the first part of the job shadowing, I was able to do a few on-location shoots with my boss. She showed me some helpful things to do when one is photographing people outside. Tips like holding your hand up to assess the lighting and shadows, I have found to be very helpful in my own photography. Also, she showed me how to hold flash lighting in order to get an optimized natural-looking portrait.

The second part of the intership involved various types of studio work. I watched a professional image editor correct the exposure and fix the skin on multiple portraits. The studio manager showed me how to book appointments using the software program, PhotoOne. Other things I learned while working in the studio were how to make eclectic collages, photo greeting cards, and how to use Photoshop.

While working at Studio M, I was required to dress and act in a sophisticated professional way. I was able to prove my maturity and gained tasks such as coming up with and designing Studio M’s entire 2011 Senior Portrait campaign; which was successfully put into action in this past November. I also was incharge of managing Studio M’s Facebook account/page by adding current and prospective clients to our “friends” list. The intership also required me to deal with very difficult customers and come up with creative solutions to help them with their situation.

Over all, I believe that my time at Studio M was highly beneficial in giving me professional experience in the occupation that I adore. This internship allowed me to see both the positives and negatives of the business; you get to use your natural creativity to earn money, but sometimes one can become greedy when their success is great. Thought the idea initally was just to gain some experience in the field I enjoy, I became aware of a much deeper meaning behind my time at Studio M Photographic. I often found myself in disagreement with my boss’s way of doing business, but that has provoked me to reflect on how I would run my business differently. My experience with interning at Studio M has been very eye opening to me. It has helped me to get to know myself and my professional preferences better.

It might be a little selfish, but I have come to realize that I would rather be the commander of my own dreams rather than being the slave in someone else’s. It gives me the drive to want to work hard in school and go to college so I can live the ultimate American dream for myself and not be forced to live it vicariously through another person. This job intership has helped me to gain a clearer perspective of my goals for the future, and with some determination, money, and the Lord’s help, I know I can achieve great things!

So there you have it... all of my days at Studio M summed up in one paper. Friday is my last day, and I don't think I could be any more excited :)

Christmas Deco.

Breathe In. Breathe Out. Keep Moving.

Wow. So I haven't posted nearly a month. I have many reasonable explanations for my blogging absence. It seems like I start every new post like this now, but it's just so hard to find time to blog when I have to write the draft to my 2,500 word paper on Elizabeth Barrett Browning in two days (because I procrastinated) and finish my college application, and write the essay for it, and do my national history day project, and have a job (which my last day will be Dec. 18th), and babysit, and have my own business, and run FISH Teens. SO there. Thats my explanation in a big, long, run-on sentence. But that is how my brain has been functioning as of late. In a big, long, run-on sentence.

I am so relieved that I am quitting my job. I feel like it was an amazing experience for me to have had while it lasted, and I learned SO much about running my own business while I was there (like what TO do and what NOT to do.) I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to work for Maria and the awesome Studio M staff while I could, but I feel like God is telling me that it's time to move on. Everything has a season, and the Studio M season is almost over. Though I have yet to decide if this will be the anticipated end of winter, or the regretful close of summer.

I think it might be more like the end of Spring. The flowers bloomed, but I have something better to look forward to. Being free- like on the last day of school, how you hear the final bell and all at once the big doors open and you hear the joyful shrieks of freedom. Not being bound to something, and though I enjoyed the job at first, the past few months have been dragging along and I will regret going to work. Perhaps because I have become desensitized to what goes on there or perhaps because I am just so spread thin.

The other thing that has been bugging me is that recently in my over all picture of life, God has become small. Like not even visible. I have been trying so hard to manage, deal, and push through things so I don't get run ragged, and thought that's what I have been making such an effort to prevent, its exactly what has happened. It is only November and I'm on burnout. But I really believe that quitting my job is going to bring me closer to Him. He always shows me how much he loves me by never ceasing to provide for me when I need it the most. I just haven't let go of the reins and let God drive. This time, I am going to give them to Him permanently, because every time I drive, I get myself lost and end up in a huge mess. So here's to handing over the reigns to the Big Guy :)

I want to do something fun and interactive on my blog to keep my readers from falling fast asleep before they reach the end. So if you have made it this far, thanks! Post your best and/or worst job experience in a comment for everyone to read. I think it will be fun to see what happens :)

Thanks for reading my post! Hope you all have a tremendously blessed week!

{Photoshoot}

If you want to see more from this portrait session click here.
If you follow me on Flickr, there are even more here. (If you don't follow me, the images won't show up on the Flickr link as they have been set to private.)

long time no see

Well due to the various random things that have been consuming my life as of late, I have been unable to chronical my most recent weeks via blog post. I'm so bad about making the time for it. :(

Last week was my first college interview... The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. It was so cool to be able to see all of the different works of art done by the students there. I also learned that much of the art that we see on a daily basis was done by AI alumni. Things like the video game Halo, the advertising for the Yaris automobile, Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirts, and even the most recent Super Bowl memorabilia. All quite interesting, I thought. The campus was ok, but I just didn't get the "feeling". I don't exactly know what the "feeling" feels like, but I've heard that you'll just know which college is right for you. The Art Institute has been officially marked off my list.

Though I was really upset that I didn't like the AI last week, I think it was really helpful in that I know I don't want to spend $86,000 on an education in Graphic Arts or Photography. If I am going to get a higher education, I want it to be in something that will allow me to earn more money after I graduate. So, I am exploring my options in Psychology/Criminal Justice/Forensic Psychology. On Monday I set up five college interviews for the next two weeks. Hopefully they will go well. We are starting with West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday and ending with Cal U the following Wednesday. So we shall see what happens. I'll try to keep you posted. :)

Tuesday night, I went around to put my app in at various locations such as Kirklands and Kohls. I'm hoping to get a new job within the next few weeks so I can quit my Studio M job. It's just not going very well and I feel like God is telling me that it's time to move on. So if you can pray that I hear clearly from God, I'd really appreciate it!

I'm finding that this point in my life is really rough, and I have gained a new respect for the people who have made it past this season of life fully relying on God's help. It's so much easier said than done. You kind of feel like a big bully turned the whole world upside down and is shaking it for your milk money. I'm praying that God will show me the positives in this situation rather than the obvious cons. That He shows me His love and grace and allow me the ability to extend it to the other people in my life.

Have a wonderful rest of Wednesday :)

{j. and j.} photoshoot

This past week, I had the awesome privilege of being able to take pictures for some good friend of ours. Here are a few of the results... (for privacy purposes, please do not mention their names)