Monday, May 24, 2010

The Last Week - Pt. 2

I'm freakin' out, man!!!

--Squeen

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The last week

Everyone told me that the last month before your wedding is CRAAAZY. I was expecting something like a tornado sweeping my world (kind of like the state of my bedroom right now) but I haven't felt that sense of stress everyone warned me about which makes me wonder, is there something I am not doing that I should be?

Still, with a mere few days left until we head to New Orleans, and a couple of to-do's still on my list, I do admit that I am left wondering if it will all get done in time, while also taking pictures for my 365 project. (It's like this thing that I just can't cross off my list. Every day it reappears!)

I am feeling super excited, anxious, a little nervous.....but mostly, pinching myself that it's really happening. We've been planning this wedding forever and it always seemed like this far off thing and now it's here. Dan and I have already been watching the weather (early, I know!) and it looks to be a splendid sunny and hot 87-degree weekend! (crossing our fingers it stays that way!)

So can't write for long, got things to do, pictures to take.


Dan, with our dance instructor Tammy, getting his steps down for the big day.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

I made him do it.


Day 31: 5/17/10 at Macy's


It was traumatizing.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Friday, May 14, 2010

Drake's Photo Shoot

Heather and I decided to have a photo shoot with Drake, who is just days away from being six months old. It went something like this:


DRAKE: Pictures! I like pictures! Sure, you can take my picture!



DRAKE: Wait, you want me to sit like this? I know it's cute, but I can't sit up yet. Is this safe?
HEATHER and YVONNE: TOTALLY!
(Two seconds later, DRAKE topples over onto outstretched finger. DRAKE cries).



DRAKE: Alright, mom, this is getting dangerous and embarrassing. I don't want to take pictures anymore.
HEATHER: Just look at the camera, Drake.
DRAKE: But, mom, come on...this woman with this giant camera is starting to scare me.
HEATHER: Just look at the camera, Drake.
DRAKE: Moooommmm....


HEATHER and YVONNE: LOOK AT THE CAMERA, DRAKE!


DRAKE: FINE! I'll look at the freakin camera. You happy now?


DRAKE: Okay, I am going to lie down and rest right here. Wait, you're still taking pictures? After that amazing performance I gave you? Well fine, I will stare at your frightening camera lens, but I will not show any expression. That's right, you will not penetrate my baby face.


DRAKE: Please to anyone who might be reading this. These crazy women just won't stop. I don't want to pretend I am looking out the window. I don't like their games. Get me out of here!!!!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

City of Dreams

In the last few weeks, I have been going on a whirlwind of job interviews, and I was getting so much positive feedback that it seemed certain that I would be getting not one, but two(!) job offers. I was even starting to stress out on how I would handle such a "problem."

I was so excited that I began fantasizing about coming home from my wedding and honeymoon and going to work. I know, crazy right? I do miss working. And really, my dreams were about security and 401ks and money in my bank account and being able to replace some of my dingy things and sleeping better at night and not feeling like a complete loser when people ask me about my job status. I was so pumped after one my interviews that after wards, I actually went on a mini shopping spree at my favorite store. Soon, things will be back to normal again!

You may have already guessed where this is going, but I found out that I didn't get either job. I was one of the top two candidates in each instance. I know that both of these positions had many, many applicants and I should be proud that I made it so far but second best doesn't pay the bills.

I am so stumped by life right now. They say that things happen for a reason, but I have no idea what that means for me. Dan said that if I don't get these jobs that we'd be moving to New Orleans, and I kind of laughed because I was so certain I would get one of these jobs.

My dreams aren't coming true in New York and I don't see it getting better anytime soon, so maybe it's time to follow Dan's dream for a change. I still look forward to good things coming my way this month, even if it's not in the ways I expected.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

18 Days until "I do"


Day 23, 5/11/10. The veil store.

All NYC brides should go here. Margaret, the owner of the shop, is so lovely to work with. Thanks to Nell for the tip.

Lunch


Day 22, 5/10/10

I went to the doctor, and I am already feeling sooooo much better. I believe my sick photo theme shall soon pass.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Mother's Day

I am a big planner. You should see some of the wedding spreadsheets and to do lists I have created. I have accounted for everything. It's borderline obnoxious. Just ask Dan.

But I never imagined that three weeks prior to my wedding day, I would be out sick with a strange and lingering illness for an entire week. It has really knocked my life out of order, and I am still not well yet. (I am going to the doctor tomorrow to get to the bottom of this). The thing I keep saying is that I am glad it is happening now and not in three weeks.

My photo project has been most affected by this illness, and while I tend to be an "all or nothing" kind of person and feel disappointed in myself for not keeping up as well as I should, I will not quit and will move forward despite my recent lackluster picture days. Here's my "whatever" picture I took on Friday, one of only three pictures I managed to take all day.


Day 20, 5/7/10

Moving on...

Even though I was still not well, I went to New Jersey this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day. On Saturday, my mom and Annette went to my final wedding dress fitting, and then we shopped for miscellaneous wedding things, including some clothes for my sister.

Annette proved to be the perfect portrait model I have been looking for. She didn't really know about my 365 project but all I had to say was, "Hey, Annette, can I take some pictures of you outside?" and she was running out the door.

I told her to sit by the flowers and act natural.


This is what she gave me.


No, seriously, she was a natural. I think she looks gorgeous here.


Then we walked down the street and my sister plopped herself on this wet stone wall filled with leaves. (Anything for the perfect shot, right?) Everything was going perfectly until a car stopped next to us and the woman asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?" It turns out we were trespassing on her property!


Day 21, 5/8/10.

An exciting development is happening in my mom's backyard. Baby birds! My stepfather Tad has been watching them since they just wee eggs and hatched two weeks ago. It was very hard to get a good shot because they were in a weird angle, in such a dark space and were so well camouflaged (I think their parents did a good job protecting them!), but here's what I got...


Birds!

On Sunday, I went to check in on them again. Again, picture conditions were difficult, especially since the sun was coming down...you can't tell in the picture but this time I saw three little ones.


Day 22, 5/9/10.

I kept seeing the mother bird with food in her beak, and I wanted to get a National Geographic-style shot of her feeding the birds. It would be the perfect Mother's Day themed picture. But every time I came close, she would hide in the back of the tree and stand very still. It was about 40 degrees outside and I was freezing, so I put on my mom's bathrobe and just waited.


The mother bird wasn't having it. This is the closest I could get. My National Geographic shot will have to wait another day.


Here's my mom next to the flowers Annette and I got her for Mother's Day. She always plants pink flowers in her garden, but we thought she needed a little bit of yellow. Love you, Mom.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Sickies Day 2


Day 19, 5/6/10

Still not 100% but we're both feeling much better today.

I hope to resume "real" pictures back again tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Sickies


Day 17, 5/4/10 59th St Bridge

For the first time in our seven year relationship, Dan and I are sick with the flu.....at the same time. Not an inspired day for photography.


Day 18, 5/5/10 Don't we look pretty?

Monday, May 3, 2010

Waiting for the Bus


Day 16, 5/3/10. 42nd St.

Change is in the air. I have a feeling that good things are coming my way this month.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

My Weekend

On Friday, I had another job interview in midtown (fingers crossed!), so afterward, I did a little clothes shopping at Anthropologie and walked down Fifth Avenue.


Day 13, 4/30/10, Fifth Avenue.


They were changing the window displays at Bergdorf Goodman so I watched these two woman paper mache bows and ornaments on this mannequin's dress.


Window at Bergdorf's.

On Saturday, my friend Danielle and I went to see a movie at the Tribeca Film Festival. We went to see Freakonomics, which is a documentary based on the best-selling book. There was a panel discussion with the filmmakers after the movie but it was so freakin' boring that we left early. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to walk home through Central Park.


I took a picture of Danielle using my Shake It iPhoto app, which makes all photos look like a Poloroid picture. (Thanks, Heather, for telling me about it). I go to the park often, but I usually stick to the big running loops. Today, we meandered through the small paths I don't walk too often.



Day 14, 5/1/10, Pond in Central Park

On Sunday, Dan and I went to our old neighborhood in the Upper West Side to look for sunglasses. There are a lot of used book sellers on the street selling the most random things. We wondered who actually buys these books?


Day 15, 5/2/10. Books for Sale.


It's funny to go glasses shopping with Dan because he can't see his face all that well, so he has to look in the mirror real close to see himself. He always asks me to come with him whenever he picks out new frames, but he hardly asks me for my opinion.


So many choices. What to do?