Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

When you just can’t make things happen #realtalk

May 14

 

 

 

Time to be real: I’m in a place where I’m full of ideas and energy–personal, business, and creative endeavors are calling out to me. The photo above essentially shows how I feel about all these ideas–I just want to throw glitter in the air and get STARTED. But…because of things beyond my control/realistic timelines/etc. I can’t start them yet. This drives me 100% crazy. I’m NOT one to sit and wait for circumstances to be perfect to pursue a dream or idea–I like to leap. I’m NOT one to let a dream remain a dream–I put a plan to it and make it happen. I’m NOT one to believe that circumstances define me–it’s how I respond response that makes the difference.

But truly. This time, I’m stuck waiting at the starting line. I squirmed under this reality for a while–imagine a moth trapped in someone’s hands, wildly beating it’s wings but unable to get free. Have you ever felt this way? So fired up, but can’t.quite.move.yet.

I had a particularly squirmy day the other day. I had to quit what I was doing and just get a breath of fresh air. I sat on the deck of my favorite lakeside coffee shop and journaled ferociously <—-yes, it’s possible to journal ferociously. The longer I journaled, the more I felt my breathing return to normal, my heart rate slow, and my mind calm. I do believe that it’s vitally important to step up, take responsibility, and take action in life. But I also know that when it comes to the Lord and what he’s teaching me, in acceptance, lies peace. Sometimes patience, faith, and reflection are exactly what’s needed–more so than action. I’m trying desperately to accept–not squirm.

I’d love to tell you that I have an inspirational, nicely worded summary for the lesson I’m learning, but I don’t yet. Maybe I never will. The point is, He’s changing me. When it comes down to it, I’m grateful to be in a place of uncomfortable learning. I’m grateful to be shaped and molded and transformed by His hands. I’m grateful that the Lord loves His children enough to change us–make us more like him. I’m realizing, our human desires to do, create, and change our world for the better is God-breathed. But our efforts are minute and fading unless multiplied exponentially by His power.

 

Posted in Personal | 9 Comments »
FAQ: Who is your second shooter?

May 3

I’ll give you three hints:

1. This person makes the best banana pancakes you could possibly imagine.

2. This person does a Jay-Z impression that would make you think he’s in the building.

3. This person could be a J.Crew model.

 

It’s my husband! I’m already on a list kick, so let’s keep rolling with that, shall we? My top 5 things I love about working with Aaron:

1. Aaron is an incredible photographer–most likely due to the fact that he’s been a videographer and media producer for years. I never had to teach him how to shoot in manual, how to frame up a shot, or how to use light beautifully–he already knew all that, duh. :)

2. We can get twice as much done in the same amount of time. We split up so we can cover more ground and give proper attention to each part of the day–he photographs the guys getting ready while I photograph the girls, he photographs the guys portraits while I photograph the girls. You get the idea. :)

3. Repeat after me: Smooth-running family portraits. Get this–while I photograph one group, Aaron is efficiently composing the next group. We’ve worked out a brilliant rhythm that keeps family portrait time moving swiftly, and feeling enjoyable, relaxed, and stress-free. Aaron is wonderful at kindly and assertively composing groups so no one is wondering, “Where do I stand? Where do I go?”

4. We’ve been working together for so long that we can predict each other’s next move. Even if we’re across the room from each other, we can give just a nod or a look, and we both know who’s got the next angle covered.

5. Aaron is a great friend to the guys in the wedding. He knows how to make guys feel at ease in front of the camera, since he can relate, and he’s also a pro at pinning boutonnieres and folding pocket squares.

I know I said 5, but there’s just one more thing I have to add:

6. We simply love being around each other (he’s been known to grab me for a quick spin around the dance floor)–and we are at our best when we’re teamed up on a project together. Aaron brings out my strengths, supports me, challenges me to be the best I can be, and keeps me lighthearted.

Posted in A Day In The Office, For Brides, Personal | 2 Comments »
May Goals

May 1

 

May is going to be a really big month. REALLY BIG! The biggest (and most exciting) thing about May is that my sister is having TWINS! Whoa. It’s going to be an awesome month full of baby photos. I can’t wait. :)

Our trip to London last month was incredible. We rode the London Eye, toured Westminster, visited Buckingham Palace, ate Pret, shared champagne at Harrods, shivered in the freezing wind at Stonehenge, ate Wagamama, frolicked at Highclare Castle (Downton Abbey!!), saw Monet’s work at the National Gallery, ate at the Eagle & Child, attended Evensong on Good Friday at Christ Church in Oxford, and photographed a styled shoot and engagement session. We did not have tea with Kate and Will, but I managed my disappointment. ;) And, I might have posed for a we’re-best-friends photo with a cardboard standup of Kate. No big deal. ;)

Aaron and I also attended Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership seminar + Total Money Makeover Live event in San Antonio just a few days after returning to the states. Whew! If you’re a small business owner and you haven’t read EntreLeadership yet, put that as priority one on your to-read list. Hands down the best business book I’ve ever read.

So…May goals. This month, I’m all about reflecting, refocusing, and getting back to the basics. Last month was a crazy whirlwind of GOOD, but I’m in need of some time to reevaluate. Quite a few of my goals are more like habits that I want to build.

-12 in 12: No specific book this month–I want to reflect and refresh on all I’ve read this year.

-Take 15 minutes before bed to de-clutter the house + do the dishes

-Plan a weekly budget meeting with Aaron

-Revitalize + simplify my office space

-Plan CA styled shoot in June

-Take time and craft a mission statement for my business

Posted in Goals, Personal | No Comments »
meet our whippet, steve-z

April 25

Aaron and I were becoming seasoned pros at marriage–we were a whole week married–and so naturally we were discussing what kind of dog to get. Because the first thing you want to do to a brand new marriage is add more responsibility to it. Duh.

We reeeeally weren’t planning on getting a dog so soon. We thought, “Oh yeah, maybe six months down the road, we just need to adjust to married life for now, you know?” We were both on the same page–until one fateful Sunday morning before church, Aaron logged onto craigslist and we found our puppy.

It was a total fluke. A dog like Steve-Z shouldn’t have been on craigslist. He was a six year old, purebred whippet and a retired SHOW DOG (read: perfectly trained). But his owner wasn’t showing whippets anymore and decided to put him on craigslist for a “small adoption fee”? Well that’s the story. (Sidenote: Purebred whippets can be SUPER DUPER expensive and insanely hard to come by. We have some friends who had to drive all the way across the US to pick up their whippet puppy!)

We went to church that day anyway, but it was totally useless–we didn’t hear anything because we were constantly checking our email, hoping Steve-Z was still available and we could visit him. An hour later we’d heard back from his owner, and we were in our car driving an hour and a half to San Antonio.

I’ll never forget my first glimpse of Steve-Z. He was beautiful and inquisitive, peering at us through a sliding glass door. I was smitten. We fell in love with this little well-behaved whippet–and we couldn’t believe our luck. Once his owner decided we would give Steve a good home, she waived whatever adoption fee there was, and we took him home. FOR FREE. I still can’t believe that!

So this is Steve-Z. My little ball of puppy happiness. We got him exactly one week after we got married, and, amazingly enough, it wasn’t a disaster–it’s been a ball. Now I want like 12 whippets.

 

 

P.S. No, his name wasn’t Steve-Z when we got him. Once we got him home, we promptly named him after our favorite movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. :)

Posted in Personal | 4 Comments »
Today We’re Talking About Courage

April 23

 

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot. -Eleanor Roosevelt

I watched Iron Lady last week with Aaron. Yes, I’m fully aware that I should have used a Margaret Thatcher quote instead of an Eleanor Roosevelt quote…but don’t worry, I quote MT in a minute. Midway through the movie, I realized this was not a typical movie–you know the one that starts with the main character dealing with a tough time, overcoming said tough time, and then riding a glamorous wave of win after win all the way to a happy ending. It was much more realistic and (honestly) sad, focusing more on the daily battles and bad days than any of that glamour. The movie overall was more intense than inspiring, but I was inspired by MT’s commitment to making a difference. She didn’t need to be liked by everyone, she didn’t fear making a controversial decision, she didn’t lose her convictions because of what people around her thought. She didn’t make decisions based on vanity. She was courageously committed to something greater than herself. That kind of commitment inspires me, especially in our world that’s more concerned with appearing put together over developing strong character. You can’t expect to live out that kind of commitment without serious courage.

If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing. -Margaret Thatcher

Hello truth.

 

Posted in Personal | 5 Comments »
The Newlyweds Decorate Their First Home

April 20

 

Not sure why it’s taken me THIS long to get excited about decorating our first place together–probably because I’ve been preoccupied with ‘OMG WE’RE MAAAAARRIIIIIED!!!!!!’ stuff–but I’m in full force home decorating mode now. Just ask Aaron. I’m intense. My style has evolved fiercely since I last decorated a living space (marriage tends to change a person, am I right?) and I’m no longer obsessed with shabby-chic, vintage inspired, paint-all-the-furniture-white look. Now I’m more into this sort of glam, preppy, mod meets cheetah print look. AND I AM UNASHAMED OF THIS.

;)

Anyway, the biggest decorating challenge in our place is the combined living, dining, kitchen. It’s literally all one room that makes up the downstairs. Second biggest challenge: we’re renting so we can’t do any type of renovation, big or small. By the way, am I the only person who gets frustrated by those “Decorating Tips for Renters” articles that suggest tearing out the kitchen cabinets, laying wood flooring, or installing ceiling beams to add architectural interest (hello new Domino magazine, talking to you). I mean, most places won’t even allow you to put a coat of paint on your walls. Tearing out kitchen cabinets is a project for a home owner, not a renter.

Sorry for the rant. :)

But the point is, I’m excited to tackle these challenges and (hopefully) come up with some realistic-yet-awesome ideas for people in a renting situation. And then blog them–YAY!! While I’m rearranging my house and brainstorming solutions, take a look at my Pinterest inspiration board–House of Glam. :)

What are your go-to decorating tricks when renting?

Posted in Personal, Pinterest | No Comments »
Breakfast + My favorite blogs

April 6

 

My favorite part of our trip so far has been finding breakfast every morning. We’ve wandered into on-the-sidewalk pubs and bakeries, and my never ending romantic side insists on photographing these meals and moments. So I do–in black and white. :)

To be truthful, I haven’t spent any time reading blogs on this trip–I vowed that I would only catch up on books, which has been lovely. But I thought I’d share my favorite blogs with you today anyway, just for fun. These blogs have stood the test of time for me–I’ve been reading some of them for upwards of three years. Happy reading!

{organization} Small Notebook | Rachel, you had me at, “You don’t need to buy more storage containers to get organized.”

{fashion} Kendi Everyday | Kendi was like the writing onthe wall that helped me stop dressing like a hipster college student and start dressing like an adult. Every outfit that I’ve worn in London has been thanks to her. Kendi, you’re awesome. (Also, engaged couples, she provides great outfit inspiration for your engagement session!)

{silly} Catalog Living | It’s dumb, I know, but the tears of laughter are somehow always streaming down my face every time I visit catalog living. We all need our funny fix blog. This is mine.

{heartfelt} Emily Ley | Oh Emily, Emily, you are the most transparent business + home life blogger I know. I am continually inspired by your positive outlook, beautiful style, and authentic words.

Posted in Personal | 2 Comments »
What Fires Me Up + The English Countryside

April 4

 

 

Traveling always brings out my soul-searching side, and this trip has been especially illuminating, since it’s the first big trip I’ve taken with my hubby. I’ve been digging deep on the things in life that truly fire me up. I started with a list of things like a good cup of coffee and an organized office. While those are things in life that bring me a bit of joy, they aren’t the things that light a fire in my soul, push me continually onward, and make me jump out of bed every morning. Okay, maybe coffee does get me out of bed in the morning. But if it weren’t for these things below, I’d just go back to bed. These are the things that fire me up:

  • Living out love every day with my awesome husband.
  • Cultivating a heart of gratitude.
  • Connecting with other people who are committed to living above fear.
  • Saying no to perfectionism and saying yes to diligent work with a heart of love and care.
  • Walking by faith.
  • Harmony in all areas–mind, body, spirit.
  • Creating a successful business out of the things I love most.

I want to re-read this list every single morning. Life is too short to lose my vision to busyness.

What fires you up?

—

We’ve been in the English countryside the past few days. Ohmygooness it’s beautiful. And there are always these sweet songbirds chirping. Tomorrow, we’re off to see Stonehenge, Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey is filmed!), and Oxford. I love my husband and I love traveling with him–we make the best memories together.


Posted in Personal | 8 Comments »
Happy London Birthday!

April 3

Hello! Well, who would have guessed that I’d celebrate my 26th birthday in the cheery city of London! Fact: My birthday was actually two weeks ago. I decided, this year, to shift my birthday back a few days so that I could celebrate while in London. Fact: This idea was and is the best idea ever. It’s pretty convenient to shift your birthday around at will. Feel free to try it. ;)

 

So hi, that’s me, the girl who’s crazy giddy because she’s about to go into Harrod’s for the first time ever. My birthday agenda included: A spectacular breakfast of quiche and coffee at a quaint cafe, eating macaroons at Harrod’s food hall, thinking about trying on a $9,000 Valentino dress (which, for the record, was almost as cool as buying it…I think), toasting with my boo in a classy Harrod’s champagne bar, dinner at Wagamama, and going to a movie at Leicester square.

 

Posted in Personal | 2 Comments »
April Goals

April 1

 

Hi friends!

I’m still across the pond in London, to photograph a couple of sessions and enjoy a much needed vacation with my hubby. I can’t even express my excitement over being here. It’s my first time in London, and I’m giddy! Best part: We’ll be visiting Highclare Castle this week–it’s where Downton Abbey is filmed! We plan on doing handstands or something crazy in one of the rooms so that when we watch the show we can always laugh about how we did a handstand in that room. That’s what refined travelers do, right?

So, goal time! I accomplished everything on my goal list, and March was full of crazy successes. I say crazy because it’s crazy that I accomplished anything at all. I was sick more in March than I was in February, including a wild reaction to an antibiotic that resulted in me covered from head to toe in itchy red dots. NOT COOL. I’ve been on some amazing organic supplements and the Candida diet since then, though, and have been feeling fantastic. I know this sounds basic, but the more I learn about the impact diet has on our health, the more I’m upset with our food industry. So many horrible things we put in our bodies are “normal.” Yet our diet has the greatest ability to heal. Small changes over time = big results. I digress.

My April Goals:

-experience Easter evensong in London

-photograph a wedding styled shoot in London

-attend Dave Ramsey’s Entre Leadership seminar in San Antonio

-12 in 12: Read Rich Dad Poor Dad

-launch Newborn Collections on the blog (I’m hooked on these sweet sessions!)

-update website with new galleries

It’s amazing how posting these goals each month keeps me accountable. I encourage you to do the same–if you post your goals, leave a comment with a link. I’d love to help keep you accountable too!

I’m going to be blogging much more London goodness this whole week–including what Aaron and I are now calling our “street style” photos, where we basically take turns taking photos of each other’s amahhzing outfits each day. Spoiler alert: Aaron is winning when it comes to style. Internet, get ready. :)

Posted in A Day In The Office, Goals, Personal | 1 Comment »