Taking A Break from Life with a Trip to My Happy Place - Page 4 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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There are other changes as well.
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PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
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If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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A Possible Dining First and an Exciting New Venture
For this trip we’re looking to save as much money as possible since both of us have had some financial setbacks recently. This will be the first trip to Disney where I will have to buy Hope a park hopper pass, no more freebies, and even though we saved a ton on our airline tickets…more on that later…it doesn’t mean I still want to spend a fortune on everything else. On the other hand, I don’t want to feel like I’m limited in what I can and cannot spend money on. If I want to buy a drink, I want to be able to buy a drink without worrying about how much it costs.
In steps Teresa (poohbr2015) who starts talking to me about the dining plan, and how she thinks it might be something that would benefit us on our upcoming trip. I’ve never used the dining plan before, as I don’t think we’re big enough eaters to get our money’s worth, but I do like to have a few TS meals during our trips, so I was willing to look into it. Teresa even sent me the list of snacks that are on the current snack list, with some being able to be used for breakfast options (ie; MS Bakery or BW Bakery). I was starting to become more and more interested in it.
Then I sat down and looked at all the restaurants that we were interested in eating at, and began calculating what I thought we would be spending on each meal. I then took that amount and compared it to what the dining plan would cost us each day to see if we would end up saving any money, and so far it looked like we would be. So after talking it over with mom, she told me whatever I thought was best would be what she wanted to do, and that led me to figure out our dining plans in conjunction with our touring plans. That was the one thing I didn’t want, to be limited to what we could do because we had to constantly work around our dining schedule so we wouldn’t lose dining credits.
After sitting down and feeling like I had just written a term paper for school, I had finally mapped out a pretty good set of touring/dining plans. Feeling proud of myself for figuring it all out, I let mom in on the details and thought we were good to go. Now bring in my main gals…Dawn (dsteiny23), Kelly (OhToodles) and Linny (linnynad). During one of our monthly girls’ nights I start telling them that I was actually thinking of doing the dining plan this time, but wanted to get their ever-so-important input. Don’t know how legit their input can be when there’s wine involved, plus Kelly was sporting some serious sleep deprivation so she just kind of sat there with a blank deer-in-the-headlights kind of stare, while Linny and Dawn did most of the talking, but the general consensus from my Jersey girls was that the dining plan didn’t sound like something that would benefit us based on our previous touring style.
As they were telling me this, the 2 hours I spent working up an awesome itinerary began flashing before my eyes, and I concluded that I obviously wasted 2 hours of my life for nothing. The next day I talked to mom about this one last time, and even though I trust and value the opinions of my 3 Passporter BFF’s, we ultimately decided to give the dining plan a try and see how it goes since we’ve never done it before. Phew…I just got back those 2 hours again! We’re not buying the plan until a week before our trip, you know, just in case Linny’s pixie dust somehow scores us a club level room, but if not, then it’s dining plans all around, and we’re going to enjoy trying a few new places to eat. I’ll let you in on all those places in my next update since that goes hand-in-hand with our touring plans.
And now onto another non-Disney related subject…my new venture, or maybe I should re-phrase it to, my “possible” new venture. **Also, I have never shown anyone these photos to anyone but Chad since I still have a long way to go before I actually know what I'm doing.**
I’ve always loved pictures. I love looking at pictures, taking pictures, giving pictures as gifts (which has become another joke in my family) and getting pictures as gifts. I like pictures so much so, that when it came time to plan our wedding, I decided to forgo having a videographer so I could spend more money on a photographer. Many of you have been reading my reports from the very beginning, which means many of you are aware of my love hate relationship with my camera. It all came to blows when I tried using it in manual mode during the Sunrise Safari last November, and the camera came out on top of that fight, but I wasn’t about to let it get the last laugh. I continued to force myself to take all of my pictures in manual mode. Why the toruture? My philosophy was how else was I going to learn if I didn’t force myself too? Now, I’m not saying my pictures were anything to be ecstatic over, but I was definitely noticing improvement.
My love hate relationship now started to become more love than hate, and I was actually enjoying trying to capture the right moment with the right settings at the right time. Then one night before a party, I decided to take a picture of Hope holding the American Flag so that I could use it for the calendars I always make as Christmas gifts for my mom and MIL. I just started snapping away, and when I started looking over them, I thought to myself, this one isn’t too bad.
No, she's not wearing lipstick. For some reason her lips were extra red that night.
After that picture, I decided to try to practice with my camera at least once a day, and if not with my camera, then with some sort of editing software. I had been trying to learn Photoshop Elements, but I was teaching myself something I hardly knew anything about, and it was becoming more difficult than I thought it would be. I started getting frustrated, but kept on practicing with my camera.
One day I took Hope to a park so I could practice with some different light (she’s such a great model too because she loves getting her picture taken), and I ran into a girl I went to high school with who now does natural light photography for a living. We got to talking and she ended up giving me a ton of valuable information to help get me started on this, either as a hobby or something even bigger, a business.
The next day I looked into some of the resources she had given me, and one of them was this fabulous member-only site that catered to women interested in photography just like me. I joined within the first few minutes of looking it over, and have never been happier. I’ve learned a lot just by reading some of the tutorials on there, even going so far as to trying out a new editing program (Lightroom) and taking those pictures for my SIL. But I still needed something more, so I decided to sign up for my first photography workshop. It starts the day we get back from Disney, but it’s online, so I don’t need to actually go anywhere to participate. If I improve to the point of actually thinking I can do this, then I’ll sign up for another workshop, and so on and so on.
A little bummed this one came out a bit blurry, but I have to remind myself I'm still learning.
I have a lot of work to do, and a lot of learning, but this is something I’ve really become passionate about and I think if I have the patience and the willingness to learn, I can actually become pretty good at it. And to segway it into this TR, while I’m on this trip I’m going to try to take a moment out of each day and focus on taking one great shot without letting it interfere too much with our fun. For now, all I’ve been doing is taking pictures of my poor daughter, but until she tells me she doesn’t want to do it anymore, she’s my practice subject, and I think she makes a pretty darn good one at that.
Great update!!! And I LOVE that you are taking your love for photography and building on it!! I am one who also LOVES photography - it's always been the running joke in our family too..........no one bothers to bring a camera around because they all rely on me.......
Your daughter is the perfect little model for you!!! I have one of those too..........we often joke because I have taken sooooooooooooooo many photos of my daughter from the day she was born - and she loves to have her photo taken - still to this day (she is 13!) if she is cranky and I pull out the camera, she instantly changes to a smile!!
Can't wait to hear about your experience with the workshop!!! I recently started taking at home studies with New York Institute of Photography ( have been really slacking on it with life getting in the way) and have always wanted to do an onlocation workshop!
__________________
Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Sounds like you really need this trip. It will be a good way to spend some time with your mom and daughter. I'd provide some advice/support about the whole situation you mentioned in the start of this TR, but you've already got some great responses and I'm reading this and typing on my phone with a newborn in my lap and there would probably be more typos than good. Plus I'm a little sleep deprived so it's hard to be super helpful at the moment. But I think this trip will be great for you ladies!
I think it's good that you're giving the dining plan a shot. Try everything once. I'm really thinking it isn't for us after using it twice, but I'm glad we at least gave it a try.
Good luck with the photography. The pictures you shared were great. Hope is such a cutie. Maybe if I ever have free time again I'll pick your brain about how to get started with that stuff. I've always wanted to, but I'm completely overwhelmed with where to start.
Your photographs are wonderful! I really admire your perseverence with the learning process. It's something I lose patience with very quickly and I know that I'll never become really skilled. You have a really good eye, though, which I don't have, and also, even when you're frustrated, seem to enjoy it at some level. I know with that kind of talent and determination you'll be able to do something with it. I think any parent would be delighted to get the kind of shots with their kids that you get with Hope.
It'll be interesting to see how the dining plan works out for you!
Your photos are awesome! It does help that your model is beautiful.
I love taking pictures! I'm now looking into buying my first big girl camera. I'm kind of a self teaching kind of gal, but if necessary I'd take a course. Lets see how that goes.
Good luck on your new hobby!
I thought you might say that was the venture, given some of the photos I've seen you take previously. Good for you! Lots of with it - I hope it works out for you and I hope it turns into a business for you.
Great job on your photos. It just takes time and practice. (I just finished your wedding trip TR yesterday - loved all your photos, and Hope was adorable!)
Great update!!! And I LOVE that you are taking your love for photography and building on it!! I am one who also LOVES photography - it's always been the running joke in our family too..........no one bothers to bring a camera around because they all rely on me.......
Your daughter is the perfect little model for you!!! I have one of those too..........we often joke because I have taken sooooooooooooooo many photos of my daughter from the day she was born - and she loves to have her photo taken - still to this day (she is 13!) if she is cranky and I pull out the camera, she instantly changes to a smile!!
Can't wait to hear about your experience with the workshop!!! I recently started taking at home studies with New York Institute of Photography ( have been really slacking on it with life getting in the way) and have always wanted to do an onlocation workshop!
Trust me when I say Hope wasn't always this happy to be in front of the camera, and when she was, her "smile" was the overly cheesy kind. It still takes a while to get a good picture out of her since she thinks standing with her hands on her hips is the way to pose every. single. time. I'm really excited about this workshop, and what makes it even better, is that there are so many others to choose from when I complete this one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stardust190
Sounds like you really need this trip. It will be a good way to spend some time with your mom and daughter. I'd provide some advice/support about the whole situation you mentioned in the start of this TR, but you've already got some great responses and I'm reading this and typing on my phone with a newborn in my lap and there would probably be more typos than good. Plus I'm a little sleep deprived so it's hard to be super helpful at the moment. But I think this trip will be great for you ladies!
I think it's good that you're giving the dining plan a shot. Try everything once. I'm really thinking it isn't for us after using it twice, but I'm glad we at least gave it a try.
Good luck with the photography. The pictures you shared were great. Hope is such a cutie. Maybe if I ever have free time again I'll pick your brain about how to get started with that stuff. I've always wanted to, but I'm completely overwhelmed with where to start.
Well, you're doing pretty darn good in the typing department with a baby in your lap! Especially on a phone! So, you didn't have any luck with the dining plan? Please share since I haven't purchased it yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Your photographs are wonderful! I really admire your perseverence with the learning process. It's something I lose patience with very quickly and I know that I'll never become really skilled. You have a really good eye, though, which I don't have, and also, even when you're frustrated, seem to enjoy it at some level. I know with that kind of talent and determination you'll be able to do something with it. I think any parent would be delighted to get the kind of shots with their kids that you get with Hope.
It'll be interesting to see how the dining plan works out for you!
I used to be the patient type, but then I got married. There are times when I just want to throw in the towel, because I'm the type that gets very frustrated if I can't pick up something right away, but since this is something I want so badly, I think it's helping me stay with it. It's gonna take time, so I've learned to accept that and at least I'll have some more memories of Hope to add to the bunch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
After all that hard work, I hope the dining plan works out for you! And Hope is just the perfect model!!
Thanks Kathy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Your photos are awesome! It does help that your model is beautiful.
I love taking pictures! I'm now looking into buying my first big girl camera. I'm kind of a self teaching kind of gal, but if necessary I'd take a course. Lets see how that goes.
Good luck on your new hobby!
I'm definitely a self-taught kind of girl. That's how I do most of my DIY projects around the house, but with this, self-teaching will only take you so far. There are so many things you can do with a DSLR camera that I still haven't figured out yet, plus, trying to get good exposure right out of the camera takes practice and technique. That's where this workshop will come in. The teacher will also be able to critique my work, and that makes me nervous as all get out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I thought you might say that was the venture, given some of the photos I've seen you take previously. Good for you! Lots of with it - I hope it works out for you and I hope it turns into a business for you.
Thanks Cheryl! I have a looooong way to go, but in the end I'll eventually get there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneLittleSpark
Good luck in your venture! I think you take some really nice pics, and yes, the model is super cute too.
Have fun with your ADR's and new meals, I can't wait to hear what you have planned!
Thanks! I know it was Hope overload, but hey, she's all I've got besides a few baby dolls lying around the house. I'm excited about some of the restaurants we picked out. Can't wait to share!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great shots of Hope! Good luck with the dining plan!
Thank you !
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
I love the pics of Hope! Good luck with everything, I wish you lots of success
Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
Great job on your photos. It just takes time and practice. (I just finished your wedding trip TR yesterday - loved all your photos, and Hope was adorable!)
Thanks for joining along with this one! And thank you for the sweet compliments.
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and even though we saved a ton on our airline tickets…more on that later…it doesn’t mean I still want to spend a fortune on everything else. 
On the other hand, I don’t want to feel like I’m limited in what I can and cannot spend money on. If I want to buy a drink, I want to be able to buy a drink without worrying about how much it costs. 
as I don’t think we’re big enough eaters to get our money’s worth, but I do like to have a few TS meals during our trips, so I was willing to look into it. Teresa even sent me the list of snacks that are on the current snack list, with some being able to be used for breakfast options (ie; MS Bakery or BW Bakery). I was starting to become more and more interested in it. 
and began calculating what I thought we would be spending on each meal. I then took that amount and compared it to what the dining plan would cost us each day to see if we would end up saving any money, 
and so far it looked like we would be. So after talking it over with mom, she told me whatever I thought was best would be what she wanted to do, and that led me to figure out our dining plans in conjunction with our touring plans. That was the one thing I didn’t want, to be limited to what we could do because we had to constantly work around our dining schedule so we wouldn’t lose dining credits. 
I had finally mapped out a pretty good set of touring/dining plans. Feeling proud of myself for figuring it all out, 
I let mom in on the details and thought we were good to go. 
I start telling them that I was actually thinking of doing the dining plan this time, but wanted to get their ever-so-important input. Don’t know how legit their input can be when there’s wine involved, 
plus Kelly was sporting some serious sleep deprivation so she just kind of sat there with a blank deer-in-the-headlights kind of stare, 
while Linny and Dawn did most of the talking, 
but the general consensus from my Jersey girls was that the dining plan didn’t sound like something that would benefit us based on our previous touring style. 
The next day I talked to mom about this one last time, and even though I trust and value the opinions of my 3 Passporter BFF’s, we ultimately decided to give the dining plan a try and see how it goes since we’ve never done it before. 
Phew…I just got back those 2 hours again! We’re not buying the plan until a week before our trip, you know, just in case Linny’s pixie dust somehow scores us a club level room, 
but if not, then it’s dining plans all around, and we’re going to enjoy trying a few new places to eat. I’ll let you in on all those places in my next update since that goes hand-in-hand with our touring plans.
I like pictures so much so, that when it came time to plan our wedding, I decided to forgo having a videographer so I could spend more money on a photographer. 
Many of you have been reading my reports from the very beginning, which means many of you are aware of my love hate relationship with my camera. 
It all came to blows when I tried using it in manual mode during the Sunrise Safari last November, and the camera came out on top of that fight, 
but I wasn’t about to let it get the last laugh. I continued to force myself to take all of my pictures in manual mode. Why the toruture? My philosophy was how else was I going to learn if I didn’t force myself too? Now, I’m not saying my pictures were anything to be ecstatic over, but I was definitely noticing improvement. 
Then one night before a party, I decided to take a picture of Hope holding the American Flag so that I could use it for the calendars I always make as Christmas gifts for my mom and MIL. I just started snapping away, and when I started looking over them, I thought to myself, this one isn’t too bad. 
I started getting frustrated, but kept on practicing with my camera.
I joined within the first few minutes of looking it over, and have never been happier. I’ve learned a lot just by reading some of the tutorials on there, even going so far as to trying out a new editing program (Lightroom) and taking those pictures for my SIL. But I still needed something more, so I decided to sign up for my first photography workshop. 
It starts the day we get back from Disney, but it’s online, so I don’t need to actually go anywhere to participate. If I improve to the point of actually thinking I can do this, then I’ll sign up for another workshop, and so on and so on. 
And to segway it into this TR, while I’m on this trip I’m going to try to take a moment out of each day and focus on taking one great shot without letting it interfere too much with our fun. For now, all I’ve been doing is taking pictures of my poor daughter, but until she tells me she doesn’t want to do it anymore, she’s my practice subject, and I think she makes a pretty darn good one at that. 
PassPorter Guide Author
with it - I hope it works out for you and I hope it turns into a business for you. 
"Sparky"(My first trip.)
There are times when I just want to throw in the towel, because I'm the type that gets very frustrated if I can't pick up something right away, but since this is something I want so badly, I think it's helping me stay with it. It's gonna take time, so I've learned to accept that and at least I'll have some more memories of Hope to add to the bunch. 
I'm excited about some of the restaurants we picked out. Can't wait to share!
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