What's your secret?

Everyday that I work at Buca or at my internship, interacting with our board of directors, I encounter the 1%. Okay maybe, they're not the 1% the rich of the rich, but they aren't among the 99%.  Any everyday that I see these people with their own personalized Louis Vuitton bags, or their Mercedes Benz I wonder "What's your secret?", "What are you doing that you make that much money?"
I think this, because money never seems to magically find its way to my pocket. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite. Money tends to constantly find its way out of my pocket and in to my over whelming amount of bills I have to pay. Don't those people with their big fancy cars and purses as large as my car have bills? Did they ever have to wonder how they were going to pay for gas, or their student loans or food?
I know that I'm not starving African child (no offense Africa), and I am grateful for the things that I have, but I am honestly terrified of being poor my whole life. I am terrified that I won't be able to buy  my future children clothes for school (and no, I'm not pregnant, this is very far in the future we're talking here).
Which leads me back to my title "What's your secret?" I feel as if the whole world of successful people are all doing (or have done) something that I'm totally missing! I've read a whole lot of linkedin articles that try and tell me what my problem is, but with every adjustment of my resume, and every cover letter that I send into that abyss that is an online application I lose a little bit of faith in my dream to own my own puppy. Cause let's face it, owning and taking care of my own puppy will doubtlessly mean that I'm successful and happy... and that's all that I want.

Octumber

It was about time they got some new, cute couple pics.

This just goes to prove how good I am with kids.

These past two months have flown by faster than geese making their way south. I know how fast they fly because I often see/hear them thundering over my house at odd hours of the morning causing my resolve to "clean up" my language to temporarily disappear. 

Most of my time is spent at Joe's Basement observing the oddballs that I work with and enjoying the fragile emotions of the customers that walk through the door. Mark my words, restaurants have to deal with the widest variety of people you will ever see in any industry. Oh the stories we could tell. You want to sit in that booth because it's less "drafty"? Oh I'm sorry ma'am, put on a coat. I'm a hostess for a reason here people! Overall, it makes for an interesting time... to say the least.

When I'm not at work, I'm wishing I was at work so that I could have more money to pay my student bills... and when I'm not doing that I'm at my internship wishing it was my real job. I love sitting at my desk in our 250 year old building, and knowing that right below me are artifacts from ancient Egypt and art from 500 years ago. best. feeling. ever.

Now when I'm not at work, wishing I was at work, or wishing my internship was my work I often find myself taking pictures. My sister recently "hired" me to take her family portraits for Christmas. It was so fun to hang out with the nephews and they even paid for lunch after the shoot. Win win! It was my first time really working with kids in photography and let me tell you it was a challenge. I brought chocolate chips to bribe them with and I have to say it worked pretty well. The hardest part is making sure that everyone is looking at the camera at the same time. As a whole I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

I love this picture. Washington Park is gorgeous in autumn.

We took pictures at noon, It was a little challenging working with such strong sunlight.

Action shots often turn out to be some of my favorites. It's easier to capture "real" moments

I brought a blanket on a whim and it turned out to be real handy. Such a precious little family!

The boys loved the pond and the ducks, I couldn't resist capturing this shot.