2 days till

I’m obsessed guys. I’m obsessed with making origami hearts out of dollar bills.

And thanks to the recent influx of cash from MY FIRST EVER PHOTO GIG I’ve been able to feed my habit. Let’s start at the beginning. Last Wednesday my yearbook adviser asked if I was going to be free over the weekend. I, being the lazy, awkward social pariah that I am said “No, not really,” with flippant shrug. It’s a good thing that I wasn't busy because she had already volunteered me to take pictures at the wedding of the daughter of a registrar at our school. When I met with Mrs. So n’ So she was a busy blur. She briefed me: I needed to take reception pictures at their venue from 2:30 to 4:30 and I would be paid $50.

I had to keep my eyes from jumping out of their sockets I was so excited. I asked if my sister could tag along to help and she agreed that it would be better with two photographers there. She bought the cards that we needed for our DSLR cameras and last Saturday I spent my afternoon acting like a professional, trying to capture intimate happy exchanges between the guests at the wedding. Since I am inwardly a creeper this was the perfect job for me. Also, there was probably around 200-300 guests there.

My principal was there and she was very impressed with my work ethic.

I was a bit stressed because there were people from my school there and I felt a bit like an outsider, but then I remembered that I was there to work, and not there to avoid socializing with people that I don’t really mesh well with. Once I got over myself I ended up having a lot of fun.

The bridal photographer seemed a little miffed that my sister and I were there and every now and then I would catch him glaring at me, but I got over that too. I was hired to take pictures of the guests, not the bride. I was NOT encroaching on his territory. I mean, he was probably being paid 10x what I was getting paid so I don’t really know why he had his panties in a twist.

I ended up spending a generous portion of my money on Christmas gifts for other people, but I like seeing people’s face’s light up when they open gifts, so I’m kind of glad that I’m back where I started: broke.

Well, not completely broke….

December 22

I have been baking and making goodies for most of Christmas break. My house smells like the Keebler elf factory.

Today I had a secret santa gift exchange with five other friends at Panda Express and it was pretty awesome. My friend Madelyne (who is starting a blog!) made me an awesome Ravenclaw tile and bought me an awesome camera lens cup!

I liked the fact that our exchange was small and intimate because we were all able to pick out the perfect gifts for each other.

On another note, I still can’t believe that Christmas is only a few days away. The weather has been so sporadic in Texas that it makes it hard to even think that it’s Christmastime. Not to mention there’s been a lot of drama surrounding a nativity scene in a town nearby mine and it’s honestly really stupid. Some people in Wisconsin or something want them to remove the scene from the court house lawn due to the fact that it melds church and state.

As someone who is passively religious, I could care less if it was a Menorah, Nativity Scene, or a reindeer taking a huge crap on the lawn. Personally I find all holiday decorations beautiful and I think it’s pointless to throw such a big fit over something so little. I understand we have a freedom of religion clause in our US constitution, but instead of eliminating the representation of a certain religion I think we should foster equal representation. Also, Texas (and anywhere south of the Mason Dixon line) is going to be SUPER Christian. There’s no getting around it. I don’t know.

I guess I should step down off my soapbox and retire to bed.

Did I mention that I’m sick? I managed to stay healthy while at school, but as soon as I get home I end up catching something from my little brother (who has pneumonia). Needless to say I’ll be taking a hefty dose of Nyquil and be sleeping with the Vicks humidifier on tonight.
Cheers.

Gifts 2008

Does anyone really care to read this? Yes? No?  Looking for a Christmas greeting from me? Try the post below.

Anyways, this is going to be done inventory style, in order of the Christmases that I have attended.

1st Christmas:

-Leg Lamp
-Fleece Blanket
-Portfolio (small)
-Markers
-Colorful Socks
-Necklace
-Paints (acrylic, temper)
-Ox Hair Brushes
-Purse
-Candy
-Hair Accessories

2nd Christmas:
-Barnes and Noble Gift card
-Walmart Giftcards

3rd Christmas:
(Okay, for this, I got everything I asked for, and by asked, I made a list for my parents so they could buy me stuff that I would actually use. My parents are too cool.)

-Prismacolor pencils
-Prismacolor Markers
-Dispatches From the Edge by Anderson Cooper
-CD Orracular Spectacular by MGMT
-CD OhNo by OK GO
-Beadle the Bard by JK Rowling (I gave my second copy to Kenneth for Christmas)
-New PJ's and socks (lol I get these every year!)
-Hair Stuff
-Skull Beanie
-Pencils
-Tons of Erasers
-Candyyyyy
-Money for Clothes

And I still have one more Christmas left. However, I doubt I'll get much there, but hey, I'm content with all my gifts. Hope everyone had a bountiful Christmas!

Happy Christmas!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Better Watch Out

Better watch out folks! Gaurd your cookies for Santa lest Anderson Cooper'll come by and gobble them all up!

You'll shoot yer eye out kid!

Ok, so my first Christmas set was way better than what I expected.  Usually I just get a bunch of non-useful junk that Melissa makes me throw out during spring cleaning, but this year I actually got non-useful stuff and totally useful stuff.

First off, I got a bunch of small candy, a new fleece blanket with blue camoflage, some art materials like new brush markers, new paint, and new ox hair brushes.  Also, it's never Christmas if you don't get new socks and undergarments.  Yeah.  Kinda weird, but I always get them.

Then of course I got a new portfolio, the only problem is that It's too small.  I can't fit any of my illustration boards in it, but that's ok I guess.  I just have to buy a bigger one.

And my most favourite gift is my leg lamp (which is about 18in tall).  I'm still debating on what to name it.  If any of you have seen the movie A Christmas Story, you'll know where the leg lamp is from.  I'm quite excited about it!  This is by far the best Christmas gift so far.  It'll take something really great to top it, but who knows?  I've got 3 christmas sets left.

First Christmas

Bhudda help me.  My first Christmas set is tonight. 

Wish me luck.  I'll do an update later on how it went.... maybe if I'm not too fat from overeating. 

What My Family is getting for Christmas

Just Kidding! This is actually a picture version of what I drew on the Debate Board in chalk.

Jesus is a present,
So are Jewish People,
Homeless People,
And Cats.

When We See Lights

Ok, so I know it's just Thanksgiving, and not even remotely near Christmas, but seeing all the lights outside inspired me to write about my annual light-seeing experiences with my family.

Also, I didn't know if I'd be able to post today, so I decided to type something up just in case.

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Every year around Christmas time my family has this thing where we all pile up into the car and drive to the rich neighborhoods to see fancy lights. Now, we do this EVERY year. We also make a annual trip to Santa Land, which is basically a Big Christmas Drive Through light show.

Well, whenever we visit the rich neighborhoods usually almost all the houses have lights, and if they do have lights, most of the time they're very extravagant.

We pass by a house with lit up reindeers, and there is a collective sound of "Oooh! Ahhh! So pretty!" from my sisters, and the usual response from my dad which really isn't a response to the lights, but my dad just checking to make sure our eyes are glued to the windows. "Do you guys see that, are you looking Stephanie? No? Well, someone lift her up so she can see the lights!"

And we pass another six houses that have various Nativity scenes, or Santas, or Giant snow globes and penguins; Again, we get the collective "Oooh! Ahhh! So pretty!"

Then we drive up to a house that is completly dark, and my dad says his ever so predictable, "GDamn, looks like someone's a Jew this year." line.

As we drive away, my sister looks up at me and whispers, "Hey Lizzi, isn't Daddy part Jew?"

And I reply, "Yeah, that's why we never put up lights."