"All it takes is faith, trust, and little bit of pixie dust." - Peter Pan

Pretty catchy title for my first blog post, right? As you can tell from by biography, I am a Walt Disney World PhotoPass cast member in Disney's Magic Kingdom. The title of my first post seemed fitting with my life don't you think? :) I started my career with Disney by participating on two college internships in 2010 and 2012. When I was a very young girl, I remember telling my mom that I wanted to work for Mickey one day. I can proudly say that God paved the way for that dream to happen eighteen years later. My parents took me to Disney World for the first time in 1994 and I was one ecstatic 3 year old. I remember that trip as if it happened yesterday: we were on our way to the airport to drop off my nana and boarded the plane with her to say goodbye. I didn't think anything of it because my mind was focused on her and what she was saying. Shortly after I sat down I began to panic; I thought we were stuck on the plane and that was not appealing to me. I remember my parents surprising me with a folder that had Disney World pictures inside. When they told me we were all going to Disney World I was overjoyed (knowing me... I probably cried tears of joy, but then again... I'm not so sure). Meeting Mickey Mouse, my current boss, was one memory I will never forget either. I think Mickey Mouse was our first stop in the park that day, but I could be mistaken since it's been awhile. In 1994, the meet and greet for Mickey was in his house back when it was called Toontown. I remember running up to Mickey before my parents could even stop me and he gave me the biggest hug. I don't remember our conversation in its entirety, but I believe it had to do with working for him. "I want to work for you one day, Mickey!" That special moment was one I will never forget. I am so happy to have a picture from that special day to put in my scrapbook.

What do I do when I'm not working in the park? In 2009, I graduated from high school and have been a college student ever since. I knew I wanted to major in film and photography long before graduation. I've always had a passion for capturing things and to tell a story with them -- that is one of the reasons why I started my business. My business is named after my experiences with Disney. Any thoughts about the name??? 

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Magical Moment Photography! :) As the owner of MMP, I photograph, process orders, edit, answer emails, and more. Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and I am thrilled that I can do it for a living. 

Why did I make this blog? I always spent my childhood in a ballet studio with numerous children, teenagers, and adults. I was a healthy weight for my age and developed more muscle as the years went on. In 2005, I had to leave the company to focus on my education and everything started to turn into fat.  I remember gaining a lot of weight at one point in my life and it still scares me when I see that photograph every day on my refrigerator. I've lost a ton of weight since that picture was taken, but I still want to aim for a healthy weight.  I've tried numerous diets in the past and always found it impossible to continue. I didn't have the accountability I wanted and I didn't see the results, so my mentality was to quit almost as soon as I began. 

                 Clothes I wanted to wear have never been able to fit me and I couldn't do a lot of things my friends could do. I never wanted to go into department stores because I knew I'd have to try on clothes before bringing anything home. I remember wanting to punch the mirror in the dressing room because I was disgusted at what I saw in the mirror looking back at me. 

                 In 2012, I got a phone call from one of my best friends with news of her engagement and the invitation to be her bridesmaid this October. I couldn't believe it at first because it still hadn't crossed my mind that I'm an adult whose friends are getting engaged and/or married. I was beyond thrilled for her and I was very honored that she asked me to be a bridesmaid. In January, my program ended and I came home just in time for the 2013 semester to begin. It wasn't until the middle of February that my health hit me in the face. "I'm going to be a bridesmaid in October, and our Disney Cruise is two weeks after." I said, "I have to do something." I think the reason why my past diets failed was because of a lack of motivation. I never really had anything to work towards, so I can see why I never stuck with anything. My bridesmaids dress is hanging in my closet as I type this and the special day for her debut is October 12th. I've lost 9 pounds since my journey began and my goal is to lose 35 altogether by October 12. 

Here it is in a nutshell: the purpose of this blog is to document my journey. I don't know if people are going to join my journey by following this, but I know this is a record for me to read through a year from now.  A year to look back at my highest of highs and lowest of lows. A year to look back at my first shopping spree five dress sizes smaller. A year to look back at spending my first cruise looking healthy. A year to look back and thank my family, friends, followers, and God for encouraging me to keep going. 

(Collage made on February 17, 2013)

I want to encourage those of who are struggling to not give up. You're beautiful no matter what this world has to say. Remember: beauty is not about the outside, beauty is about what's in your heart.