Goodbye Capitol Hill! Time for some fresh air in the Shenandoah Valley :)

updates decisions decisions updates

So the last two weeks have been, in a word? : eventful

I’ve gone from hours and days of searching for jobs, to days and weeks of waiting with no responses, to an interview with a major wedding photography company, assisting a wedding for that company, turning down working with that company, getting an interview with a law firm, and getting a job with that law firm all in one day. eventful.

First in regards to the wedding assistant-ship job. In the beginning the job was exciting because it relates to my major, the company is really impressive, and I mean I who doesn’t love a good wedding right? In the end though, I realized that I wasn’t really letting myself think about the negatives, because if it all worked out, I didn’t want any reasons not to take the job…even if there are ALOT of reasons. As I was setting up a time to go and meet with the owner to discuss the wedding I helped shoot last Saturday, some of those reasons fought their way in. Am I going to be able to work 9-5s all week and then have then energy to work a 10 hour wedding on my feet 3 out of the 4 weekends every month for VERY little pay? In the future as I possibly work my way up in this company-do I want to work weddings on the weekends for a living while everyone else I know works during the week?  What is my ultimate goal here? After long discussions with the husband way late into the night (gosh thank God for husbands), I decided this just wasn’t right for me. In the end, I don’t want to be a wedding photographer, and for such a sacrifice of my time and energy I really needed to want this. Instead I need to focus on my own work and continue to look for new opportunities with companies that fit who I am.

So an hour after making that tough decision, I had to go to an interview. Yikes. I ended up really liking the two women who interviewed me and left feeling that this was a company who takes care of their employees and it might really be a great place for me to work. They told me they were interviewing others and would call me on Monday….and 4 hours later she called me back and offered me the job!!! Starting 9:30 Tuesday morning I’ll be the administrative assistant floater for Krooth and Altman in DT DC! Basically I’ll be assisting everyone in the office. My job is to take on the overflow that the rest of the assistants/office can’t handle. My new boss says there is plenty of room for upward mobility as well (aka many admin. assistants have ended up as paralegals for their company). The pay is great, the people (so far) seem great, and the location is awesome. Jonathan and I will even get to take the metro together and get off at the same stop every morning :) I am so relieved to have finally found a job that can support my little family through the hell that will be law school. I finally feel at peace about all the job decisions and it feels like God is really making a place for us here.

Now it’s off to the Blue Ridge Mountains/Shenandoah Valley wine region for a belated anniversary weekend! It couldn’t come at a more perfect time :)

 

a little love for the season 4 opener of mad men from a favorite episode. oh how i’ve missed such quality television……and donald draper

madmenfootnotes:

“Oh, it’s just smudgy squares.” - Jane.

There’s also this explanation.

a sampling of the wedding at the willard hotel

   
 
 
 
 
 
so I still don’t know if I actually have the job or not-but either way yesterday’s wedding was an incredible learning experience for me. I worked with two professional wedding photographers and quickly learned that my camera equipment needs some serious updates! Even so, the wedding was very beautiful and elaborate and easy to find great pictures with any camera. The hotel was one door down from the white house, incredibly beautiful and had an old hollywood feel. The catholic church a few blocks down was equally as gorgeous. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to photograph more weddings like this! Everyone cross your fingers that next week I’ll find out I’ve got more in my future!

catching up

so we made kind of a willy nilly decision to scamper off to the beach with our two good friends jared and melissa and couldn’t be happier that we did! we stayed in ponte vedra florida with them at jared’s uncle’s condo that was right on the beach. we laid out, played in the ocean, drank multiple margaritas, ate seafood, and played cards all week. it was just what we needed :)

   
 
now we are back in DC and so it begins. today I had my first official job interview post college and happily it actually had something to do with my major! The job would be an assistant wedding photographer where I would assist the photographer with mundane tasks (holding and moving lighting around, carrying equipment etc) 10% of the time, and the other 90% of the time I would get to work creatively with none of the pressure of being the main photographer! Basically instead of snapping the picture of the bride and groom having their first dance, I’d be looking for the parent’s reaction and so on.The company is a very renowned photography studio and has been awarded by the knot, brides magazine, and the Washingtonian! So needless to say it’d be such a great opportunity for me if it actually worked out. I was interviewed by the owner of the company who was an older man that greeted me wearing a large white fedora which he donned throughout our talk. I think we really hit it off but I was informed that the position is highly sought after and so I definitely do have some competition. Time for everyone to pray that the other interviewee’s choke? Just kidding………right? Even if I do get the job (which I won’t find out about till next week), I’ll still have to find something full time to help support our sweet little family while Jonathan’s in school, so it looks like things could get busy. But busy is good when more than likely Jonathan’s every waking moment will be stuck in the caves of the law school. (don’t worry love, you’ll be fine) :)

In other news, Jude has his first visit to the vet tomorrow since moving to the city, and let’s just say it’s probably NOT going to be a great day for the poor boy. At least 3 shots and a stool sample? He’ll be showing us each and every reason why the put weimaraners in every anti-depressant commercial on tv tomorrow afternoon. oh jude bear….



thankfully though, tomorrow night to lift me of my wiemaraner induced depression, Aqsa (a good friend of mine interning in DC this summer) and I are going to walk the two miles by the capital building and on to downtown dc to Frozenyo to get the rumored best frozen yogurt in the city! With flavors like Red Velvet, Pumpkin Pie, and Snickerdoodle I am overly excited. I’m loving this city and it’s culinary delights :)

madmen - cannot wait for the next season to start at the end of this month

madmenfootnotes: One of 1961’s biggest singles. Inspired by thehip-swiveling dance craze. It even made Peggy twist. “I don’t like youlike you this,” says Pete, who is more accustomed to the Charleston.