The Young, Professional Housewife (Possibly the Most Oxymoronic-Sounding Title Ever!)

For the last year of my life I have been a quintessential housewife. My husband's description of this job title is to "stay stress free and look cute". It's nice to think he'd be content if that were the surreal extent of my labors; however we all know that if this were reality, households around the world would cease to function humanely and the death rate would reach record highs because some men would curl up and die. I do in fact clean, sew, fold, shop (for groceries, of course...), prepare three meals a day for my hard working counterpart, and tend to an impossible, loving, disproportionally big eared ball of fur that is our "daughter", our six month old chihuahua named Lacy. All these things, in accompaniment with my numerous hobbies and school work, have comprised the last year of my life.

And I've definitely enjoyed them! The closest thing I probably came to ever wondering whether or not I would make a good housewife was the blunt realization after getting engaged of "crap! I'm going to have to make food." If someone told me I was going to love it, I just might have thought them stupid. Maybe it's because it didn't occur to me that the person I ended up with would have been so responsible, selfless, and loving that he would not only permit, but actually prefer I stay at home because he didn't care that much about money and knew I hated to work... That is, unless it's a job I'd love. ♥

Most people who get jobs they actually enjoy do not normally get the opportunity to do so before they're halfway through college. Usually people my age still work as a waitress or a nurses aide (my past in a nutshell). But recently someone asked me if I'd like to get paid $15 an hour to take pictures and play on my Macbook.

I said yes. (And I'm pretty excited.)

How I got started in photography is a funny story in itself. I've always appreciated the art and have dabbled in it since high school, but I didn't even own a digital camera until one day not long ago I said "I'd like a DSLR." I got one and said "I could probably put this to use," and before I knew it people were paying me money to take their pictures. And they liked them. (God bless America.)

Fast forwarding, less than one week ago I came across a job ad to which I casually responded. The next morning I had an interview; that same day I got the job. The job itself is photographing merchandise for a children's boutique. You know the pictures of clothing you see on the websites of stores such as GAP or American Eagle? That, mixed with model shots, is what I'll be doing. It's technically commercial photography.

This type of photography is actually very competitive--undoubtedly the most!--as marketing is the largest branch of the photographic industry. If you follow my photo blog, you might be saying "..but that's not what you do." Well, you'd be right. I was very up front about this during the interview, but the woman who hired me said that she liked what she saw and thought if I could do that then I could do anything. (Confidence builder much?)

Enough talk about things most of you can't relate to, let me show you what I've done so far! Keep in mind that since I did this with my own limited equipment in our apartment it will not be as good as it will be in the more professional studio setting.

This is the outfit I wore for my interview...



(It looks so easy... but you would be surprised how much effort, trial and error is involved!)

I had a little trouble with the pants, but fortunately they're much larger than anything I will be working with. Also on the job I'll have helpers to assist me with things such as steaming the clothing--so there will be less wrinkles. :)

I'm very excited (have I mentioned I'm excited?) to get my foot in the door of a more professional world. I think I'm lucky to be doing it at such a young age (and I can tell you right now that I don't plan to look back). My new boss said she wasn't particular about what I wore to the boutique but I've already purchased all the cute professional-looking clothes I could get my hands on. I'm currently going to school for business and so far I very much enjoy it for many reasons, but I love love love the formality of professionalism. Besides, when you're as a young as I am in as big a world as we live in you can't give anyone the opportunity to not take you seriously.

So yay for new jobs and new blogs! My first entry was not very housewife-y, but there's time for that and more to come!


♥