Here is the main reason. I don’t like the rush and pressure of gift giving. Highly dislike making people who don’t have the financial resources feel bad when they receive gifts. Yes, I know… it’s about giving and trust me. Ask anyone of my friend’s or family, I’m definitely a giver and not a taker, but all the shopping involved makes me want to go crazy. I love the festivities, the music, the food, the company and everything else. This is the time of year that I love spending extra time with Kris, friends and bonding.  Maybe it also has to do with the fact that somehow I am always busy during this time. All of my closest family and friends’ birthdays are during the last 3-4 months of the year.

Thanksgiving will remain my favorite holiday, but if Christmas could calm itself down on all the crazy shopping, I’ll consider it for first place next year, just maybe.  ;) A few things that I’m loving right now. Yes, a little foodie related. Because you’ve gotta it, so why not eat well during the holidays!

Absolutely loved Cupcake & Cashmere’s holiday gift guide here, that I had to share it.

You must check out Creature Comforts’ Gifted Magazine, super awesome and love that it includes holiday recipes.

Pie in a jar from All Jarred Up. Best invention ever if you ask me!

Black Hawaiin sea salt from Terrain. Recently read a great article in Sunset Magazine on different salts and how to pair them with food. Can’t wait to try in the future. Check out their gifts for the foodie, I’ll take one of each.

If you’re a chocolate lover like me, these are perfect for some good hot chocolate, gourmet style. Chocolate sticks from The Ticket Kitchen, with flavors like chili, mint and truffle you can’t go wrong. Kind of loving these salted caramel ones. Yum!

Then you need a good book or two for all these treats. 100 Unforgettable Dresses by Hal Rubenstein.

Hope this inspired you, or at least got you thinking of some good eats or gift ideas. I’ll just continue to be in denial and enjoy my She & Him Holiday cd in my office, working away and come out and play on 12/24.

I couldn’t think of a better photo of us than this one to post. As far as I know, this is the first real good photo we have together. Why I can’t find a photo of us in 1st grade when we first met, I don’t know… let’s blame our parents for that one.  ;)

To think that since college we have been saying we will grow old together, wow! Where does the time go? As soon as I started writing this I realized that I wanted to document our story, because really, it’s a great one.

Funny how vivid I can remember our first meet. You started the 1st grade a few days later and the teacher asked me to show you around campus, the girls bathroom etc. You were super shy (ha, that’s funny) and we instantly became friends. You had your straight hair braided and wore a blue sweater with an elephant stitching in the front. We were and are as different as black & white. However, we share a sense of humor that no one clearly understands and connecting on a deep emotional level has kept us strong and together.

Summer 1992, End of 6th Grade

In the summer of 1992, we solidified our friendship by making this BFF membership card, yeah… we were so ahead of the game Costco. We laminated it old school style by taping it all around. Apparently, it was also cool to wear headbands and panda earrings. You were super awesome if you had an identity bracelet just incase you got lost. Yay for the 90′s.

Top 10 Favorite Moments

Summer of 92, running around in the backyard with the sprinklers on in our undies. Scandalous!

Crank calling Mr. Peter and thinking he seriously was able to put us in jail like he threatened to… OMG! I’m still scared.

Getting kicked out in the 3rd grade by Mrs. Spears because we were laughing too hard, then again in 6th grade. And we got academic awards… dang we were good.

Singing & karaoke at the top of our lungs.

Making a funy, yet very dramatic video in the summer of 93 because we were bored. Your poor brother and sister starred as criminals and we were the law. The judge and police officer. Judge Judy has nothing on us. Where is that video?

Thinking that oil pastels were rad and secretly saving the best ones in our tortilla bags to take home. And our sticker collection.

Sleep overs that made our parents cringe. Only because our laughter was so loud it kept up the whole block. Even your temporary guest Juana who we tortured that one summer.

You making fun of me for dancing with the “golden noogie” and flinging me around like a rag doll. I still don’t think that’s funny, but I get a kick out of your laughter from it.

Meeting your little man, Ubaldo for the first time.

Play dates and lunch with you and Ubaldo.

Socorro, thank you for 26 wonderful years of friendship and sisterhood. You have given me one of the greatest gifts in life, unconditional love and friendship. Yes, I realize how cheesy and loverish this post is and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Love you!

That is what happened here. Over the weekend I had a little conversation with Kris about the business and where it’s headed. I’ve slowly been working on an extensive to do list for next year’s business plan. A lot of thinking now for doing later, or early next year. Nothing deep, but by the end of our conversation I had told him that I was going to RUN WITH IT! Keep running and not look back. Because that is how my business got started, so why stop now?

Love that my bride, Denise knows how to have fun and is smart enough to wear Uggs to move a lot more quickly during our shoot.  ;) Photo was taken as she was running to our location and we jokingly said she looked like a runaway bride.

It’s nice to stop, reflect and be able to express thoughts in a photograph I created. Cheers to that my friends!

I have also found that in other bigger meet-ups and groups it is hard to build true and honest relationships with other photographers. Not to mention the clicky nature that comes with big groups like that. The photography community in SoCal is pretty friendly, but I have also had a few bad experiences on a few occasions from so called “leaders” and people wanting to “help”. There’s always a few rotten apples in a bunch. I believe in Karma, so that’s all I’ll say about that. And so I’ve reached out to those that have responded and mutually want my company as much as I want theirs. So I would like to think that I’m building something here, something very much intimate and powerful.

Yesterday I met up with four other photographers to work on marketing and business plans for next year. Wow, talk about brainstorming and fierceness. I’m still thinking about a lot that was discussed and simmering on it. My business plan and goals are half way there. Much more to do and I’m grateful that I have a few more meetings lined up with the shutter sister and Melissa in the near future as well.

My friend Ami via the awesome iPhone

Today I am grateful for the community that surrounds me and the great friends I’ve made on this journey. I am super excited for next year!

I knew I wanted to post to the blog and at first couldn’t really think of an immediate photo to go along with it. Other then a landscape photo or something else beautiful as such. Then while cooking last night the paella, the answer came immediately. And I think it’s appropriate as well since my cooking skills and love for food and preparation took off to a whole new level once I had embarked into photography as well.

You see, back in 2008 I was laid off from corporate America. It was not an easy thing at all. Especially when your income is cut in more than half after unemployment, you have a mortgage and a partner that also depended on that income. Somehow, we made it work. Because when life is good you don’t realize all the unnecessary shopping that takes place, not to mention all the dinning out and lattes at Starbucks, just to name a few. You learn to live with less. One day after talking to one of my neighbors about the exhausting process of not being able to find a job again. She mentioned and encouraged me to take some fun classes through my city. I listened. No new job was anywhere in site in this economy and I had already re-aranged my closet and garage about 5 times!  ;) Immediately I knew I wanted to do yoga & photography. One of those things I had been wanting to do, but never had a lot of time for. Also took pottery with my good friend, Toni who recommended this city program. It was fun, but totally not for me. It’s harder than it looks, let’s just leave it at that. To this day I still do yoga and one day hope to get certified to teach. Photography allowed me to be creative in a way I hadn’t experienced before. I fell in love and followed my heart.

After a good year of learning through photo classes, teaching myself and learning from others. People started asking me to take their photo and asking how much I charged. And that is how Nancy Orozco Photography came to life.

These last two years have been amazing, heart-wrenching, adventurous, rewarding and hard. Going in I knew that it would be a journey, but nothing really can prepare you for it. You just have to ride the waves as they come, learn, learn and learn I did and still do. Working solo is also very hard, especially on sick days when you are hr, receptionist, editor and so on. Thankfully I am so blessed with great friends in the industry that I have to lean on and consider my co-workers. I am especially thankful for Trude’s support and patience with all the tech and web questions I ask her from time to time. My friend Melissa has been amazing as well, always there to answer questions or just share the journey along with me. Not to mention my best friends and other great supporters that cheer me along the way. Thank you, thank you!

To the man who believed in me more than anything, pushed me when waves of self-doubt hit me so hard I couldn’t get back up, helps me make business decisions, stands side by side with me on wedding days and doesn’t ever complain about my long days and nights in my office. I couldn’t do this without you Kris, love you!

And as I write this and reflect on the journey, tears come down my face just thinking of all the great people that I have surrounded by me. To be living a dream I didn’t know was possible. There’s a saying I used to tell people when I started my business that I still love to this day. “No one will hire me, so I hired myself”. I’m so glad that I followed my heart. Best decision I could have made. Can’t wait what the next year will bring.

A few weeks ago we went to Victoria Gardens out in Rancho Cucamonga for some shopping. Okay, mostly just to go to Crate & Barrell and buy a cookie sheet I needed, but it was such a nice day that we just had to get out. On this day, Kris took over the camera. The whole day!

Snapshots from the day, just a few.

My favorite necklace right now, Eiffel Tower. From Forever 21.

Didn’t find anything on the sale rack from one of our favorite stores, Urban Outfitters. But aren’t these albums so pretty?

Next time I will turn the camera on Kris, it’s only fair. And set-up the self-timer for a photo of us, baby steps.  ;)

Equal parts of pomegranate juice (bottled or fresh) and sparkling water, ice, pure cane sugar, mint and lime.

We would have added a little rum had we not went out for a run. There’s always next time.

I’m so honored to be a part of your life and it’s amazing to me how our friendship has evolved. Truly consider you like a sister, so very thankful for that. Happy birthday!

And in case I don’t say it enough, thank you for always being there!!!!!

I love the life that we have built together. Thankful and happy to have you by my side. How is it that I still get all gitty when you call me on your lunch or call to say that you are coming home?

These are the latest photos of us. From last month during my birthday weekend. And I love that you said “Wow, we need to take more photos of us!”. Maybe we should call Jose Villa and see if he’s available?

Happy anniversary, my love. You’re my everything!

Last night, I watched 2 Broke Girls. It did not disappoint. The two are so opposite, it’s perfect. Love the smart alec and witty humor.

via

The New Girl on Fox. Zooey Deschanel is starring in this comedy, enough said. Love this girl.

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PAN AM on ABC. Something about the 1960′s vibe, the drama and sexiness that is appealing.

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Of course, I’ll be adding this to my list that already includes, Big Bang Theory, Weeds and The Big C. It’s a great list if you ask me.