my life after graduation

when did life get to be so hard? everyone says enjoy your college years because when they are over you are shoved right into the 'real' world...like we were living some sort of pretend life - in a way i guess we kind of were. a few hours of classes a day, some exams & papers mixed in with a whole lot of sleeping in, friends, boys & whatever else we wanted to do. it's funny though, because once you have graduated you really do see life so differently. i mean, ya there aren't the pressures of studying for a test until the wee hours of the morning or worrying about your grade in a class, but there are different deadlines & things to worry about that perhaps we never thought about before. & most likely these new challenges are more important than any grade we ever received.

i have been struggling with my purpose in life lately. what will i do in this life that will be good enough to feel like i did something worth while. will it be a job? a hobby? my family? kids? church? next month will mark one year since i graduated & although i feel like i know some of the things i want to accomplish in my life, i also feel like i am a very confused 22 year old. is this normal? i'm sure it is, but it is also frustrating. everyone is different. we all blossom at different times & pursue very different dreams. i simply wish i knew how/when/&what my purpose will be. not knowing what i will to do with my life is kind of scary to me.

on a more cheerful note, i am happy to report that our terrible utah winter may finally be over! last week i went outside for a little walk. it was sunny, no snow on the ground, i could actually feel the warmth of the sun on my face & there was a rather strong breeze. this combination reminded me so much of the santa ana winds back home in LA {my favorite} & i was just smiling ear to ear. it's so funny how the weather can drastically effect your mood & state of mind. i found myself instantly grateful for so many different things that i have in my life. 

:)

calories calories calories

the other day i was struggling hard core with not eating a happy meal that one of the little kids i nanny didn't touch. luckily for me mark texted me some encourging words, "don't eat it", & i didn't! he also sent me this really interesting video about calories & the food industry today.

as some of you know i used to count calories hard core with my husband & we both lost a good amount of weight doing so! but after watching the video below i am a bit shocked about our success...

it is wild how many calories go into meals that you eat at when dining at a restaurant, or a simple snack that you pick up from a cafe & even your favorite drinks! for those of you who wish to continue living blindly to the fact that the food you are served by others is often TERRIBLY bad for you, then don't watch the video below. but if you are curious about how truthful listed calories are then take a look...

crazy, right?!

when mark sent me this link the other day i was really shocked. well, sort of. to be honest i was more disappointed than anything. it's awesome that food companies are required to show the calories in their products these days, but what good are they if they aren't accurate? for all i know they could be simply picking a random number & slapping it on a label!! no wonder the folks in our country are LARGE & in charge!

p.s. i'm not saying i will never eat out again! i am a lover of tasty food, even mcdonals...i know i know, but i would rather be educated about these kinds of things & go from there.

friday's letters 02

i used to think winter & i got along, but after this year...i'm not so sure! i know i've blogged enough about

 the joys of winter {sarcasm}, but here are a few more for ya! 

>> dear hands, i'm sorry i let you turn to icicles every morning. i am now starting to really understand & appreciate winter clothes. like real winter clothes. lately my hands have been frozen, especially when driving in the early hours of the morning, & my little target mittens just aren't cutting it! leather gloves make sense to me now. i would kill for a pair right about now. >> dear excessive layering, as pretty as the snow may be...i'm officially over bundling up to go anywhere! this pretty woman in the picture above is so stylish & gorge walking down a city street with snow at her feet, but come on...there is no way. >> dear me, let's try to be more optimistic, shall we! so, on a more positive note, winter is a great time for soups. i have enjoyed making various soups & stews lately. i do tend to miss this aspect of winter when the hot summer months are around. so, i think i will try a few more new soup recipes before the winter chill is gone & spring arrives! >> & since we are chatting about food, dear waistline, my apologies for not paying enough attention to you. making desserts seems to be inevitable when you are snowed in...or perhaps simply too cold to even think about going outside. i sometimes feel like a bear. all i want to do is eat a bunch of heavy desserts & hibernate for a while. i know some of you girls know what i'm talking about! &&& with all the many layers of clothing i wear every day, no one will notice the extra lbs, right??? because we all know i haven't hit the gym for a few weeks...okay, months. yikes!

cheers, winter.
but i am happy to report i am headed to NYC today!!!! big apple, here i come.
i can't wait to see you tonight.

do diets ever work?

^^^evening baking sessions can be a dangerous thing^^^

ugh how many times do we all start a "diet" & then half way through the first day find ourselves eating chicken nuggets? a little while back mark & i counted calories for over a month & we both lost a good amount of weight! yay us! but ever since we've stopped i've just gone back to my bad habits. a cookie here & a piece of pizza there. i love food so it's really hard for me to give up some of my favorites....but....when i was eating healthier & consuming less calories i felt so much better!

how do you guys find the motivation to pass up a yummy burger & stick to a salad???? i need some help...with a side of will power, please.

a look inside my camera bag

i love hearing what other photographers {& people in general} have inside of their camera bags! whenever i get the chance to speak with a photographer i always ask them what camera body they use, as well as some of their favorites lenses. getting to peek at what equipment they use on a daily basis & what they recommend, as well as what they don't, is really a special opportunity. it can be a great learning experience & is truly valuable information in my eyes! so, for anyone that may be interested, here is a little peek inside my camera bag! :)

1. nikon d600 >> a full frame DSLR camera body. i love this camera so far! it is the newest addition to my collection & one of my favorites ;) this is my first big boy camera & i am thoroughly enjoying all of the perks of having such a sophisticated machine.

2. nikkor 50mm 1.8G >> this is my favorite lens. it is a prime lens which means that it doesn't zoom. you must use your feet to get closer or move further away from your subject. i love it because it creates really sharp images & has a really low aperture! if you are looking to step up your photography but not spend a ton on a lens {because we all know how much those amazing lenses can cost!!} then this is a great option! i bought this lens right after i got my d5100 & i have been in love with it ever since!

3. nikkor 18-55mm >> this lens came with my nikon d5100 camera as the kit lens. while this lens is in my camera bag, i don't typically use it.  i may pop this lens on if i need a really wide shot {18mm is very wide} or am in need of a zoom lens while i'm out exploring a new city. but when i get the dough, i plan on investing in a true wide angle lens {like a 24mm}. but until then i will keep this little guy around just in case!

4. nikkor 24-85mm >> this is the kit lens that came with my new nikon d600. i use my 50mm most of the time, but it is kind of nice to have the option of a zoom if for whatever reason i need it. for example, when i take pictures of food from a birds eye view i typically use this lens in order to get everything in the frame when i'm in such a confined space. {i dream of a 24-70mm, though :)}

5. nikon d5100 >> this little guy has been so good to me for the past 10 months. i learned everything on this DX camera & i love it so much! i would recommend this camera to any beginner. it has various settings for those who do not know manual mode. i found this comforting because there were times when i was first learning manual that i didn't want to think about my settings & so i could set it to a preset option & know i would still get a good picture. i am keeping this little guy around as a back up in case anything ever breaks or goes wrong with my other camera body.

so those are the items in my camera bag! 

of course i have a wish list of things i would LOVE to eventually purchase, but for what i'm doing right now, this little group is working just fine!

i would also like to mention that i typically use lightroom for all of my editing. i love photoshop, but lightroom is SO much faster when you have a bunch of photos to edit. i have both & work with both, but if you are debating between the two & you simply want to edit photos...definitely go with lightroom.
i love talking photography, so if you have any questions...leave a comment!

liebster award

in the blogging world there are fun little ways to help your blog get noticed & the Liebster Award is one of those things. it is a fun way to share a little bit more about me & i would like to thank brooke & mrs. adventures for nominating my little blog over here.

so what is this award??

the rules

1. list 11 facts about yourself

2. answer the 11 questions given to you

2. create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award

4. choose 11 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate

5. go to each bloggers page and let them know about the award

6. thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog :)

11 facts about me

1. i hate to vaccum

2. i love love love to cook & try new recipes. healthy or not! but dishes are a different story....

3. i declined graduate school in order to become a photographer

4. i work as a nanny during the week

5. i am so hot! as in, i get over heated SO easily! my body temperature is a good 10 degrees higher than everyone else's at any given moment...thanks mom!

6. i've always wanted to be a real city girl

7. i wish i wore glasses - i think they are so adorable, but i know the day i actually need them i will hate it 

8. i am known as having terrible taste in tv, movies & music. to get a better understanding of what i mean...i love reality tv {almost ALL reality tv...yes that includes the bad girls club}, i love lifetime movies & the radio is where i get my music.

9. i have recently fallen in love with lipstick. i never used to wear anything on my lips, but i am really learning to appreciate having a fun color pop on my lips. 

10. i want to move back to california SO badly at this point in my life

11. i try really hard to drink lots of water in a day & so i always have my pink camel bak water bottle with me at all times. that, or a diet coke...haha i know, total opposite.

11 questions for me

1. Favorite book? i'm not a huge reader, but the last book that i couldn't put down was the help. if you haven't read this book you should. i movie was good but the book was great.

2. The song you currently have on repeat? i have two. c'mon by kesha {i know, i know} & the a team by ed sheeran. two very different songs but AH i love them both.

3. Least favorite thing about your day? the idea of showering!! i love to shower but getting ready afterwards is so time consuming. long hair can be a blessing & a curse.

4. Favorite meal? mexican food. growing up in southern california i was blessed to have endless amounts of mexican food all around me. i could eat tacos everyday & sometimes do.

5. Favorite nail polish? i love OPI nail polishes. i tend to stick with pinks, reds & orangey reds. a few of my favorites are >> color so hot it berns, hot & spicy and charged up cherry. interesting names, huh? hah

6. What was your last tweet? i am not a huge twitter person. the last tweet i did was about one of my blog posts haha. i am way more into instagram than twitter.

7. Last store you visited? uhh, the grocery store? haha. we made a huge, fancy meal last night with some friends.

8. What do you like to do on a week night? i wish i was more interesting...but, i like to come home from work, eat with the husband & watch some of our favorite shows on tv.

9. Your most re-purchased beauty item? MAC zoomlash mascara...this has been in my makeup bag since 9th grade.

10. Favorite shampoo and conditioner and why? i love redken shampoo + conditioner. i actually don't use it right now cuz it's about $50 for each bottle but when i can afford it again, i will pick these babies up again! i love the smell & they have so many different kinds of shampoo for any kind of hair type.

11. Essential piece of jewelery? The one you can't leave home without? my wedding ring! i do tend to take it off at home a lot when i'm cleaning, cooking, blow drying my hair, putting lotion on, etc. so i kind of, more often than i'd like to admit, leave the house without it & feel naked! so i have to remember to grab it, it is an essential!

11 questions for my nominees

1. what is your favorite color to wear?
2. what is a hobbie that you wish you had?
3. best part of your day?
4. favorite beverage?
5. what is your favorite season & why?
6. do you have a hidden talent that most people don't know about?
7. what is your go-to junk food?
8. favorite vacation spot or memory?
9. what does your ideal saturday night look like?
10. what is a guilty pleasure of yours?
11. are you a morning or night person?

my nominees
kaylyn from the weir house
rachael from shore society
erica from la petite reine
ani from catch 21
melissa from a little bolt of life

perspective

isn't it interesting how altering your focus or perspecitive can lead to a whole new picture.
sometimes switching up your way of thinking or looking at things in a new light can be refreshing.

i love this picture because it can have so many different meanings depending on the person viewing it.

when i look at this image i think about the feeling of being stuck in the present day2day rountine 

vs. the bigger picture in life. but that's just me!

trapped vs. being free

short term goals vs. long term goals

hard work & then the reward...

just a little food for thought ;)
enjoy your weekend!