Just wanted to take a second to say Happy Cinco de Mayo! This is one of my favorite days of the year. I mean who doesn’t like an excuse to eat Mexican and drink Margaritas?! Well maybe some people. But not this girl! I hope everyone is having a great day. I had an awesome newborn session this morning with my friends Larry & Leslie’s little baby boy Tripp! Headed to the grocery to buy taco fixings for tonight. Love low key dinners with friends ;)
Here is a peek of cute lil Tripp!
A couple of updates really quick: I have a pretty heavy schedule this week, 5 sessions and a Wedding this Saturday. Editing every moment in between, just trying to keep up. Looking forward to a little mini R&R trip next week with friends. I’m afraid I won’t be able to take many more sessions until June. With the weather change: April and May booked up really fast. If anyone has been thinking about booking a session with me, please get in touch with me soon. Right now I am booking portrait sessions for June & July, in hopes to take the month of August off. (minus my ‘grow with me’ kids who have first priority with their shoots if any fall in August). I will not be taking any more Weddings for 2011. Right now for Weddings, I am only booking 1 year in advance, which is April 2012. As always, thank you for the constant love and support! Look forward to sharing a ton of new shoots and weddings with you guys in the upcoming months!!! :)
1. The next few months will be the busiest yet, I am looking forward to diving in head first! I love what I do so much, but I can tell you I’ve been giving a lot of thought to taking off for a few weeks this summer to get refocused and refreshed!! Ever since Randy and I went on our honeymoon roadtrip last year, I’ve been itching to do something like that again. It was so creatively inspiring and just good for the soul.
2. Bootcamp has been kicking my butt, it’s always this time of year when I get hard on myself. It’s time to put the winter fat jeans away and get ready for summer. I decided this year for lent I was really going to make an effort to get healthy. It’s so easy to cheat and give up but I figured if I offered it up I wouldn’t back down. I jokingly have been calling it the “L40x” diet. “Lent 40 days xtreme!” No sweets, no white carbs, no beer! It’s Abita Strawberry time- so that’s kinda difficult. I’ve been to 3 crawfish boils where I’ve had to turn it down! It’s okay though, hopefully I’ll shed some pounds.
3. Weeknight dinners at home with friends and lazy Sundays have been my favorite lately. I’m not sure how to explain it- I just get this sense of relaxation and comfort.
4. We have a really big family and I wish we made more time to see each other. Some of my cousins now have little ones and it’s so easy to let life and the everyday routine get the best of you. We decided the last Wednesday of every month we’d get together and have a pot luck themed dinner, all 20+ of us! Next week it’s Mexican themed, I can’t wait to see everyone and truly hope this is something we stick to!
5. I’ve been having my eye on this camera since we went to WPPI! Fujifilm FinePix X100. It hasn’t hit stores yet though! I am so used to taking photos a certain way while shooting my sessions with my professional camera that I HATE using that little mini flash camera in my purse, the quality just isn’t the same. I am hoping this little beauty will give me the effect I’m looking for! Old school look with new school functions! :) I CAN NOT wait to buy it!
6. Looking forward to planting some new flowers in my Garden this Sunday. I love this time of year when you see everything blooming and colorful. I’ve been waiting to have the warm sunny weather for a long time! This is a photographers favorite time of year with lighting too, I’ve been getting some beautiful evening light lately!
7. If all goes well with weather and what not, I’ll be photographing my brother and his fiance Jen’s Engagement photos next Friday! I am so excited, I have lots of ideas brewing! Sometimes I wish I had more time to organize a team who wouldn’t mind styling a shoot. Hair, Makeup, Wardrobe, Props, Location, etc… I wish!
8. Besides my random tidbits here on the blog, I’ve started a personal journal to document thoughts that I just need to get down and out of my head. Ideas for the future, struggles, what I’m currently excited about, life events I can’t wait for, etc. I think it’s important to get certain things out and stay focused! If I kept everything inside all the time I’d be really miserable! I have to have an outlet!
9. You read my blog, ever wonder who’s blogs I read? Here are some of my favorites:
What draws me to these blogs? They all post several times a week, the consistency in their work, they blog about photography as well as their lives, they are open and honest, each is inspirational in their own way.
Are there any blogs that you also follow that you think I’ll like? If so, SHARE! :)
10. Ummm, it’s 11:30 and I am sitting on the couch while Randy watches something random on TV. I think it’s time for BED!
You ever have one of those days where you are just all over the place? Your mind wonders in 10 different directions. Gotta to this. Gotta do that. You get worked up. Get emotional. Then you’re like bummed out, then you’re happy. It’s like the weirdest thing. Today is one of those days for me- when I can’t really pinpoint how I feel. Seriously, doesn’t it happen to all of us every now and then?
Well my future sis-in-law randomly emailed me this quote today and everything sorta just made sense after that.
“May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”
After reading that I thought about it. Why can’t I think about this quote each and every day. It summed it up completely. Thank you Lord for all the wonderful people you have surrounded me with. Through you all things are possible and faithfully I will follow were you lead me. There are things that change in life that sometimes test our strength. There are days where I feel really weak – it’s those days I ask for extra guidance. I put my trust in the Lord knowing everything will be fine.
And just because I love my dogs, here’s a photo of our oldest. An Aussie Mix. A rescue :) Her name is Shortee. She is a girl. Don’t ask- Randy named her. Her nickname is “Beans”. She likes when I call her “Beansy girl”. She is attached my hip at all times when I’m home working. (When I get a glass of water- she’s behind me. When I check the mail – behind me. When I get up to use the bathroom – behind me!) She is a big baby and the sweetest thing ever!
Whenever your feeling down, just think about that quote. It sure snapped me out of it today. Have a good weekend ya’ll!
It’s Sunday and I’m just getting home from church, I parked myself at my computer right when I got home to answer emails. The weather has been beautiful lately and I am very thankful to not be bundled up in gloves, coats and hats for my sessions anymore. It definitely can be a little restricting! I wanted to give a little update on some things. Right now I am booked until the end of May. From now until then, I have 8 Weddings, 25 portrait sessions, the 16 Mini Easter Sessions at the beginning of April, the dancing school I photograph every year at the end of April consisting of around 100 girls, oh and a few showers and parties to help plan for my brother and future sis in law! Easter is in there somewhere too, which I hope to take a few days off for. Looking forward to doing the Crescent City Classic the day before Easter as well.
So here I am….. sitting at my desk… so very very thankful. Wondering how I got to this point? Wondering how I can look at my calendar and see nothing but PHOTOGRAPHY on it. I hate turning anyone away and I want each session to be special for each client. It’s hard having to respond to emails to say I don’t have anymore spots open until such and such date. I never thought I would be where I am now- I am just being open and honest. I pray every single Sunday about my business, he must be listening. I pray when I can’t figure things out, when I need some guidance, and when I need help.
Lately, I’ve been taking it one day at a time, one session at a time because it can easily be overwhelming to look at my calendar and wonder how I’m going to get through it all. I’m just human- and there are days when I can get a little stressed. It’s just the time of year, there are long days ahead and lots of editing to be done. The one thing I have managed to be able to do it stay on top of it all- which is why I feel like I am able to take on what I do. Each clients session is edited in the order it was taken and I try not to take any longer than 7-10 days for each person. “To Do” lists are my best friend.
My blabbing is almost done- I just want everyone to know what page I’m on right now. Why do I write this kind of stuff on my blog? Because a year from now I’ll get to read this and reminisce about where I was at that very moment in life. I am so grateful for my family, friends, clients and those of you who just stop here daily to see whats new. The support is why I’m able to do what I love- thank you! I am so excited to start back up at Bootcamp tomorrow! This is my favorite time of year when we have longer days of sunshine! :)
Aright- I’m heading outside to get some fresh air take the dogs for a walk!! I have 3 Engagement sessions and a Maternity session to blog about this week! Whoop Whoooop!