Day 37
twenty-three.
My name is Jessie and I'm all about making shit happen. My life is colorful. I am absolutely, positively, head over heels in love with art. I also love learning, exploring, and laughing. Root Beer, soft pretzels, and corn bread are the key to my heart. Lettuce be friends.
mom, dad, brother 1986
me and grandfather, 1990
• Elsewhere
• Ask me anything
I had one of the best days I’ve had in a while. I love that we collaborate with each other when it comes to getting certain shots. I need my photo fix and he needs his video fix.
Yesterday I went to this nutritional workshop at my yoga place to learn about being healthy. I really feel like I’m ready to change my eating habits. I’ve been telling myself for years I need to get my ass into shape and take care of my body, but I feel like it’s going to happen this year. I’ve noticed that I’m able to eat good things I once hated and I’m not craving bad things I used to love.
The teacher told us that the most important thing to do is make your career, relationships, and physical activity your number one priority before you focus on your eating habits, because all of those things will affect how you eat. Which is totally true… if I’m unhappy, I eat like shit.
Anyways, she had us do this activity where we had to rate how satisfied we are with different aspects of our lives, IE: career, home environment, relationships, etc. I was able to mark that I was extremely satisfied with nearly everything in my life (except for health, physical activity and home cooking, of course).
It put things into perspective for me. I mean, I’ve been well aware of how happy I’ve been lately, but I’ve never really broken it down into little categories like that. How satisfied are you with your education? Your finances? Your social life, joy, creativity, spirituality (or lack-there-of)?
I’m happy with all of it. I love what I’ve learned in school and what I plan on learning in the near future. I don’t have much of a social life, but I’ve adapted to enjoying spending time with myself, which I consider more of a strength than anything. I’m even happy with not being religious or spiritual. My “higher being” is my goddamned self, and I’m proud of that.
This entire experience has just been one hell of a journey. I never expected to feel as invincible as I feel right now. I’m happy with my body. I’m happy with my mind. And I deserve everything I want, we all do.
I think it’s important for you to take some time out of each day for yourself. Never let yourself down. If you promised yourself that you would take a walk after work, go take a walk. If you told yourself you’d take a bath, or paint, or take a picture, or read a chapter from your book, don’t let anything get in the way of that. Give yourself one day of the week to relax and enjoy the world around you, no matter how much shit you have on your to do list. Chances are, that to do list isn’t as urgent as you think it is. Just breathe. I cannot stress enough how important it is to love yourself.
My friend Desi and I did a fun little shoot on her roof last weekend and these are some of the shots she took!
So I had the most amazing photo shoot yesterday! Go see the rest of the photos on my photo blog!
I love L.A!
Models: Desiree Abeyta and Grant Linden
Hair/Makeup: Kristine Castano
I had the most fantastic photo shoot today! See the full series on my blog.
Desiree had this lovely idea to re-create Little Red Riding Hood! She modeled as Red and Eric modeled as “The Wolf”.
Hannah: Are you going to come to my house to open presents?
Me: Aw, I wish I could but I’m too far away to come over right now!
Hannah: Oh… Well I hope we can spend next Christmas together!
Me: Me too!
Hannah: I have your present all ready!
Me: Well, how about we have our own mini Christmas when I get back?
Hannah: Okay!
I love this girl. TO PIECES. I can’t even describe it. I was the shy one when we first met. I had no idea how to interact with a child before she came into my life. She is the reason I love kids now. She is the reason I look forward to being a mother one day, and I never thought I would feel that way. I was there for her third, fourth and fifth birthday. I had just met Andy when she turned two. In fact, I was on the phone with him while she was crying because everyone was beating up her Elmo piñata, hahaha. I have so much fun when I’m with her and she makes me feel like the raddest person to be around. She’s smart, beautiful, and unbelievably sweet, and the same goes for my other niece and nephews. I love them all so much.
Andy’s entire family has become my own. No matter what happens between he and I, they will always have a part in my life. Our first Christmas, Andy and I were probably only dating a couple months and his mom had a stocking with my name embroidered on it hanging on the wall. That’s how instantaneous this love came to be. His sisters treated me as if I was a long lost sister they hadn’t seen in years. The first time I ever met his grandma, she told me to just call her grandma. I wouldn’t want to miss watching these kids grow up for the world. It is pure ecstasy when I’m with them. I am going to miss them so much when I move to Los Angeles. I feel like they grow so much when I don’t see them for as little as a week… how can I manage only seeing them once or twice a month?
As happy and grateful as I am to be home in Chicago for Christmas with one of my families, I wish I could spend it with both of them.
Also, I don’t know how it’s possible to be so jealous of a five year old. She is RIDICULOUSLY beautiful.
These kids are an absolute joy to be around. Today we played with styrofoam.
The more I see them, the more I fall in love with them.
Day 1. Favorite photograph you’ve taken.
I’ve talked about these two before, but they will forever hold a special place in my heart. They are all complete strangers to me, but they made me feel as if I’d known them forever. All three of these people were the most kind people I’ve ever come across. Mr. and Mrs. Hornsby live in Adare, Ireland, and I didn’t get the man’s name so I just called him Boris. Boris lives in Russia, but I met him in Poland.
