Looking Back on 2015

2015 was pretty jam packed for me. I moved around a lot, had some incredible experiences as well as some frustrating lows. I think this year was good for me in the sense of learning new things about myself... I learned how to be completely on my own which to me was the biggest goal. It was something I wanted to prove to myself and I did it.

In January, I moved to Utah by myself and started my new job at Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary as a Dog Caregiver on New Years Eve. Crazy! My job kept me pretty busy which meant this blog went on the back burner for awhile.

In June I moved back to Vegas to be closer to my family. I loved living alone and being on my own but it was a really hard change to go from a huge city like Las Vegas and then be in a very very tiny small town like Kanab. I wouldn't say I was homesick but I was getting depressed even though I loved my job. Once I moved back I also started doing rescue work with The Churchill Foundation and I've been with them ever since. I also got a job at the Spay & Neuter Center, something that seemed to correlate with what I believed in.

In November I started this blog back up officially! I also moved into my new house with my boyfriend after living with his family for awhile. It was probably the best thing that had happened to me in awhile since I moved home. After being on my own and then living with a bunch of people... It was great to finally be back in our own space again.

Now it's December with the New Year right around the corner. It's been a roller coaster of a year for me. There were other bumps in the road that were too personal for me to share here but looking back now, it's all stuff that made me stronger in the long run.

 I know that 2016 is going to start off with a bang because I got some HUGE NEWS but I can't share it yet!!! I hate to leave you all in suspense but I should be able to share relatively soon.

How did 2015 treat you? 

Foxy Things

I know it's not Friday yet but I wanted to do a Foxy Things post early since you know... Christmas is almost here!

As you can see in the photo above (and if you follow me on Instagram) we have a new foster dog! Her name is Iggy, she's an 11 yr old Italian Greyhound/Chihuahua mix that we pulled from the Rescue Only list due to severe dental disease. She lost all but five teeth yesterday and is currently in recovery mode and hating her cone. As soon as she's feeling better, she will be up for adoption and I expect her to get swooped up pretty quickly even though she's a senior.

Besides our cute little guest, here are the other foxy things I've been feeling lately...

1 // I made this Skillet Chicken w/ Bacon & Wine the other night and it's hands down my new favorite chicken recipe. Even Johnny loved it and we don't usually enjoy chicken like this.
2 // Speaking of spending time in my kitchen, I had my epic Christmas baking day on Sunday and I tried out this Hedgehog Cookie recipe. They turned out so cute but you really need the patience to put on the little noses and eyes!
3 // Remember Wishbone, the little Shih Tzu we found on Thanksgiving? She got adopted to a loving new family!
4 // With all the negativity in the world right now (even in my city, thanks to the lady that plowed into the Strip with her car) stuff like this makes me feel a little better.
5 // New Years Eve is almost here and I need to decide on what to wear... I'm liking this look and need to go shopping asap.
6 // Wouldn't be mad at all if this or this was under my Christmas tree!

Does anyone already have their New Years outfit? What do you plan on wearing?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Card '15

Well, after 20 minutes with a tripod and remote and trying to get just one good photo of myself during the holidays because I'm a photographer and for christ sakes we should have good photos and I never get anything nice of myself without at least a few hours try, damn it Johnny suck it up and look like you love me, I hate all of these this is terrible, I give up I'll just choose one of these even though I don't love any of them...

We have a Christmas card.

Next year I'm definitely having someone take our photos for us.

As a photographer... I deserve it.

Christmas Blues

 I've been home sick the last couple days (I always get sick around Christmas, like clockwork) and finally blogged my mini sessions up on my business blog which you can see here. That's definitely going to be a goal for 2016, to keep that thing updated consistently! I need to put as much effort into that blog as I do with this one.

I'm sort of in a pre Christmas funk. I have a couple of forks in the road coming up in my journey of life and I'm not sure which path to take. I know that I'm making a change, that I'm going to stray from the road I'm on now. However the opportunities aren't exactly crystal clear just yet and I'm hoping they will be by the New Year. I know I want to focus more on my photography... I think the ultimate goal is being able to do this full time but I'm not quite there yet. Mentally, yes. Financially, no. However I'm going to try out some new things to continue growing as a photographer and who knows where I might be by next year!

Animal rescue is forever in my life and something I will always do. One of the new paths might lead me deeper into that realm and I'm open to seeing where that may go. If I'm lucky, eventually I would be able to tie in photography and animal rescue together as a career and be set for life. Fingers crossed right guys?

Regardless, I'm in this weird place now because I'm already so eager for a change and unhappy/restless with where I'm at right now. It's frustrating. Not to mention that with the job I have now, I'm always exhausted and stressed out. I'm too tired to go out with friends or even do anything on my days off unless it's something close to home. I use to be this social butterfly but my job has sucked the life out of me and I for sure can't keep on like this. I haven't traveled in about 3 years (moving to Utah doesn't count) and I can't remember the last time I actually went out on the town. I hate to be cliche but I've always been a creative and these 12 hour days as a Low Cost Spay & Neuter Receptionist.... I just can't anymore. It was fine as a temporary solution for when I moved home but now it's time for something more substantial.

Sorry for ranting friends, I tend to just bottle these things up and keep it to myself but my blog gives me a safe space where I can release a little steam. Anxious, restless, still wondering what my future holds when I'm almost 30 years old. Frustrating! I can't wait till Christmas, at least it will be a good distraction while I let these things play out and see what happens.

Snapshots Lately

I'm trying so hard to enjoy Christmas but it's been a little hard. Between my full time job, all the holiday photo shoots (December is always my photography busy season), and then trying to just keep up on the house and making Christmas gifts... I haven't had much time for myself or to just relax. That's why I switched shifts this weekend so I could finally get a Saturday off and spend time with Johnny and my friends to go play in the snow at the mountains and finish up some things I desperately need to catch up on. 

That's not to say that I'm not loving my time by the fireplace and the nostalgic warmth I get when I look at the Christmas tree after coming home after a long shift. Or when I see Murderface curled up in Jasper's bed even though it's ten times too small for him. Speaking of cute puppies... Wishbone never found her owner, she wasn't chipped or spayed so she has gone into the rescue I work for. We have a groomer who also foster's so she took Wishbone on for us and that's where she will stay till she finds her forever home. I loved having her here with us but she is very much a puppy. The other foster has more time to do stuff like potty training where I'm more of a medical/older foster dog household. 

I've been crafting up a storm as most of my gifts will be homemade this year. I saw this post on how to burn snowflakes into birch ornaments. I tried out a few owl sketches as well, these are so cute and personal! Not to mention that wood burning is pretty therapeutic. I've never been the best at drawing but with some practice I'm hoping to get better. 

Here's one of my owl ornaments now hanging on our tree. Also, my cute unicorn ornament from Gypsy Warrior finally came! I love it so much!

That wasn't the only Cyber Monday package I received this week. I recently discovered GracemereWoods, and she is amazingly talented. I wish I could carve and paint half as good as she can. You might say I'm having a small obsession with wood ornaments lately and that's ok. We all have our vices. Now I own these amazing pieces and can't wait to add more to my collection. She also included a sweet handwritten note which is always a lovely gesture.

Wrapping things up, another reason I'm making sure to take some added days off is that I'm starting to feel that rescuer burnout. Yesterday we had a family come in with their 12 yr old dog that was suffering from pyometra. Pyo's happen when a female dog is not spayed and the uterus becomes infected. It's very serious and without immediate surgery the animal faces death. The owner was in tears because couldn't afford the surgery, she only had a type of credit that my company doesn't accept. The dog was so sweet and I can't handle people crying... Plus the weight of guilt that was creeping up on me at the thought of them leaving and having their dog die or euthanized when there was a chance of a few years and quality of life left... I couldn't just sit there and hope something would happen. I called in some other rescue groups who luckily felt the same way I did and two of them stepped up and each paid a large chunk of the surgery. The owner had taken out a loan and come back, she was so desperate to save her dogs life which I totally admired. It was awesome being able to tell them they could pay back a large amount of that loan AND get the dog in for surgery. I literally almost burst into tears about twenty times that day and when the dog was curled in the backseat of the car on her way home for recovery in the arms of the owner's child... It made all the stress and worry worth it. 

My emotional state is a little too fragile though and with everything going on in the world as well as the day to day cruelty and unhappiness I see in rescue... I need a few days to regroup and recharge. That's how rescuer's burn out and I finally get it since I'm experiencing it myself. Stepping away from Facebook and not seeing bad things for a few days, focusing on things that make me happy and loving on my own dogs, not having to take on the usual stress of my demanding job (and it is stressful working at a low income spay and neuter facility)... I'm hoping it will help. 

How do you guys usually recharge your batteries? How are you getting ready for the Christmas season?

Fashionably Foxy: Holiday Party Time

It's starting to get pretty chilly outside! Just in time too... This is my favorite time of year when it comes to clothes because it means hoodies and long sleeves, you can hide those extra holiday pounds with a jacket. It also means reasons to actually get dressed up, there's nothing like a Christmas party to set the tone of the season. I'm usually in scrubs at work and then right in sweats/pjs when I'm off so I don't get many reasons to actually get spiffy unless I'm going somewhere. This might be my go to party look. I adore the skirt, I had been looking all over for one like this but they are super expensive from places like Modcloth or other stores I adore. I'm on a tight budget, so I can't splurge $50 on one piece of clothing unless it's on sale. Imagine my surprise when I found this gem at Target, I swooped it up the moment I laid eyes on it.

I've had these cute heart tights for a few months and the skirt pairs with them perfectly. The jacket is the newest thing I own, I just picked it up to replace my old one that I grew out of. I always have to have a black trench coat, it's a staple in my winter wardrobe.

Tank: Wet Seal (older)

Skirt: Target (older)

Jacket: Charlotte Russe

Tights: Forever 21 (older)

Boots: American Eagle (older)

On another note, my closet still needs some work on it although it's slowly coming together. I have a feeling I won't be able to work on it or my office till after the holidays. Oh well.

Hope you are all having a great first of December! I'm finally working on some DIY Christmas gifts today and tomorrow I'll need some good vibes sent my way for a new opportunity. Fingers crossed!