2009's belongings

thank you 2009.

it was a fun year. but days wouldn't be worth the breath if the page wasn't flipped.

thus I flip it - and I flip it good.

...a round of applause for '09...

Flight of the Conchords show in Oakland

my nose next to very strange face paintings

friends that got engaged (finally!)

my cousin in another musical

oddly phallic things
cooking experiments

restored photos of my Nana

a picture of me getting locked in a porta' potty that resembles the restored photo of my Nana. a 30th birthday in Las Vegas
my best friend got engaged a hard core Halloween performance a very cold trip to Tennessee new camera equipment28th birthday in Napa
a bachelorette party in Las Vegas
pinatas
and several other events that are necessary to keep stored away in a private place.

in other news...

...I am celebrating the last seconds of 2009 in Tahoe. I am leaving in approximately 12 hours. 9 of which I want to sleep through. and I have not packed one itty bitty thing.

...note for 2010: less procrastination. not NONE. just LESS.

Christmas in my life

a belated Merry Christmas to all my blog readers!! I hope you had a fantastic holiday. I managed to keep myself busy with my day job while simultaneously eating the cheese dip I made for all the parties I attended. normally that would qualify as part of a vacation's luxuries however, let me just tell you - I can't wait to get back to the office to help regulate my body.

average time I find myself heading to bed? 2am

average time I find myself waking up? 9am (or 12pm - but that was only once!)

average number of times I have been to the gym during the break? once.

9-6 schedule... please come back soon!

my family had the very usual holiday. my mom bit off more than she could chew with an elaborate menu and thus, overcooked the meat. my dad has more mood swings that a room full of PMSing high schoolers. and I rushed around desperately trying to keep wine glasses full (or at least just mine).

but no one can deny how fun it is to unwrap mysteries. everyone seemed to enjoy what I got them... which makes me super happy because I felt very uncreative this year with my gift-giving. and I love all of my gifts! thank you family and friends : )

and now that Christmas 2009 is over, we move swiftly in to 2010.

what are you doing for the New Year?

we will be in Tahoe with a large group of people... bodies strewn about the cabin... people rotating in and out of beds and on floors... multiple trips up the mountain... crossing my figners in hopes that none of my bones will be broken afterward. however you end up celebrating 2010, have fun! but please be wise.

in other news, wearing pajamas all day...

...saves water used in doing laundry

...makes one very white since you can't leave the house

...has given me ample time to discover and become addicted to new music

...is creating quite the coffee withdrawal. can someone drop off a tall soy latte at my front door please?

I present to you, my drunken family Christmas photos:

I(heart)CA

I survived Tennessee.
now where's my bumper sticker?

I was expecting a small town featuring antiques, beef jerky, cigars, homemade candies, hikes, trees and leaves. but I saw traffic, Ripley's Believe It or Not wax museums (several), go karting, miniature golfing, half-off ziplining (after sitting through an hour of time share information), pancake houses, white people, and swastikas.
I don't think I will be back for a while.

thank goodness I will be home for Christmas. living in a city that has just elected an asian, gay 26 year old male. where grocery stores aren't referred to as "Food City". I can find prosciutto and dried figs. hikes are driving minutes away from me. and alcohol is more conveniently priced.
I love home.

in other news...
...December... love the weather, dislike the stress.
...a tall chai tea at 7pm will keep me awake for approximately 12 hours.
...being so sore from a workout that it takes 1 minute 30 seconds just to sit on a toilet is still 'good' right?
...I challenge you to a game of horseshoes... and present to you, Tennessee (*look for hidden alligator):

David & Kristen... continued

my husband is packing movies for our Thanksgiving trip to Tennessee... Thao Nguyen is singing at my face at midnight... I don't have to go to work for another week... and another engagement session is officially complete - thank you card written and sealed.

it feels good to take deep breaths.

here are some snaps from David and Kristen's engagement shoot in Santa Cruz...
enjoy!

lil' Crissy

today was one of those brisk November Northern California days that you just don't want your baby outside for very long. which is why we made this session short and sweet with a touch of sassy.

sneak peek of the Ong family!

Amy & Bobby... continued

today I got to talk to my second mom (my best friend's mom) about the engagement photos I did for her daughter.. and she grew an honest smile and said she loved them. that is why I am addicted to photography. honest smiles. when I have handed over my finished products people are truthfully happy - and it shows.

here are some of my favorites from my shoot with Amy & Bobby.

thank goodness

sometimes life seems rough.

but then I read about a woman being attacked by a chimpanzee and losing her eyes, I hear how close my friend was to death in Afghanistan, I attend my friend's aunt's funeral, and I hear about another friend's coworker who got in a road cycling accident and is now in a coma.

and I realize I'm ok. and I need to be more thankful for my life, my loved ones, my liked ones, the air I breathe, the surroundings I see and the feelings I feel.
so I guess it's appropriate timing for Thanksgiving to roll around.

on that note, it has been a busy Thanksgiving month. two very important engagement sessions followed by a family and a wedding... both of which have yet to arrive. throw in some inquiries and friendly surprises and wow... I am very thankful.

in addition, I am almost done with a personal project of mine. one which no one took any guesses at in a blog I posted previously (thus, no free hugs were handed out). today is the one month 'due date' I gave myself to try and complete it by but I still have another hour or so to chuck in to it before it is done. still, I am happy with making a scarf in a month and a day.

in other news...
...goodbye queen, hello king. our bed is now an island. I'm pretty sure it made google maps.
...two weeks from now I will be in Tennessee. holy crow.
...what are YOU thankful for? yes, you.

David & Kristen

baby it's cold outside.
just the way I like it Mr. Martin.

the creeping cold, the brisk bed sheets, the shock of crisp air in my lungs... I heart it all. throw in some stunning weather at the beach and you get drool.

my fellow ping pong player, bejeweled opponent, sake bombing friend and coworker of mine for around 4 years now asked me to take his and his fiance's engagement photos months ago and I have been so excited since then! we finally found some time 2 weekends ago and had some amazing air, color, and sun combos at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz

here is just a sneak peak...

Amy & Bobby

at the end of yet another too-short weekend, I had the pleasure of taking engagement photos for my besty... I won't be taking her wedding photos because I will be the matron of honor! so instead I took the pre-wedding snaps.

it was a casual and fun shoot and I cannot WAIT until their wedding day. I'm already nervous about my speech but it's the happiest nervousness I've ever felt.

Amy & Bobby - congratulations! here is a sneak peek...