About 6 months or so ago someone told me “live simply so that others can simply live”. That statement changed my life. I went home, to our 1300 square foot, modest home and opened a stuffed closet. I realized I had been telling myself a little lie that we lived differently from most people because we have a smaller house, don’t have credit cards, and use rain barrels. When in reality we were not living simply by any stretch of the imagination. We have multiple pairs of shoes, options of all sorts of thing to wear, more dishes that we ever use, and Lena lacks for nothing in the toy realm…so we started purging. A few trips to Goodwill and we found out we were going to Haiti in August again and we decided to have a yard sale. So we have been sorting, pricing, and stacking for months now all to come down to tomorrow. Tomorrow and Friday we will have a big upscale resale fun yard sale complete with tables and linens from All Occasions Party Rental, fun pink signs for you to follow and even a lemonade stand!

We’d love for you to join us! Check out our facebook event page for a list of the awesomeness we are selling and directions!

And if you follow me on facebook then you may already know that this morning I received a call from WVLT (while making signs…still in my pj’s) about doing a story on our sale. After quickly changing and warning Lena now was not the time to show the world your new song or do a jig we taped it with Michele and it will air tonight at 5pm. We’ll be the dorks on there;)

The other day I posted this on facebook. Because it was glaringly real to me in that moment. And I was grateful.  Forever grateful.

But its not like that every day. Sometimes its hard. Often it’s scary. Then some days I forget how tough that decision and risk was, like it was another life ago.  And then other days I feel like I’m doing it all over again. Daily risking it all to do what I love. Daily jumping and hoping for those wings. Most days I feel inadequate and question it all. Then soon after I realize its not about me. Its about purpose. What God made me for. When you are walking in God’s purpose for you its amazing to see him build your wings. It’s not your doing, its His.

I’m not sure what the future holds but I do know that I’m ready to leap.

I spent Thursday afternoon with my mom and sister getting pampered like I never have. We got pedicures while sitting in amazing message chairs, had wine brought to us, and followed it all up with yummy cupcakes. Such a fun time that left me wondering why in the world I waited this long to get a pedicure!

Here are some random iphone pics from the day:)

Thursday night I spent awake cleaning up Lena’s puke every 15 minutes. It was oh so glamorous let me tell you. Halfway through the night I wrote this and then realized there was no where else I would rather be than taking care of my Lenabug.

I don’t say it enough but I am forever grateful and thankful for my mom. She’s the one I call in the middle of the night when Lena is puking to make sure I’m doing everything right. She is the one who I talk to every day about silly stupid life stuff. She is the one who brings over soup when we are sick. Lena paces the floor watching out the window when she knows Nana is on her way over. She loves her Nana something fierce and I’m so thankful that she gets to experience the fun of adventures, reading books, train rides, cooking concoctions, and tents in the backyard that I did growing up. We love you Nana!

In honor of mothers day I dug up some old photos from my baby book:) These are iphone pics of the photos but hopefully you get the idea. Me and my mom:) I love you mom!


and a favorite page that my mom wrote in my baby book, the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s Forever Young.

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

Happy Mothers Day to all you mama’s out there!!

I’m here. Working hard behind the scenes.

Learning to say no to some things so I can say yes to the things that are important to me.

I’m focusing on my clients, my amazinginly wonderful clients. Hoping to give them the best, what they deserve. I’m focusing on family, what matters most.  I’m learning to be ok and not feel guilt with mornings in jammies, sleeping in a little, and having a picnic spur of the moment.  Instead I’m appreciating those moments with Lena, knowing they won’t last forever.

I’m dreaming big.  GIANT. Taking risks and feeling fear.

I am learning patience.

I am gearing up for a crazy wedding season by realizing that stepping back and enjoying the crazy will be the best thing ever to do.  Every weekend from here until mid July we will be rocking it out hard core wedding photography style (clearly I am pumping myself up in that last sentence…sorry, got a little carried away!)

I am dreaming of all the posts that I need to put on here.  It feels like I’m hiding stuff. I don’t like it. Awesome inspiring weddings, beautiful details, love, friends.  But again, I am being patient:) Patient because those posts have their own due time so you and I will have to have a little more patience:)

I am learning lots of lessons.  Lessons on love, God, life, commitment, sacrifice.

I am writing to do lists like crazy (helps with the patience part)

I am working on it.  Everything. I am far from perfect but progress is what I’m searching for, not perfection.

I am blessed, loved, thankful, honored, and humbled.

*******************

thanks for hanging in there with me, I promise there are ahhhh-mazing things to come and the blogging will get much more fun and not so random soon:)

(picture via Better Than Fine on Pinterest)

This has been on my heart lately. And I have been telling myself its just silly because, in actuality, I have no idea where to begin nor do I really know what to say. But for whatever reason, I feel compelled to put more of me on this blog.  Yes, historically, this blog has documented our life, my business journey, lots of Lena, etc. but here lately I’ve felt a little stifled on here and want to share more of me. You know, who I really am, the weird one;)

So then I get this in my inbox and though, what the heck, lets post it on the blog:) So this is my first step, an introduction to me. Some random tidbits that help make up me.

**Feel free to copy and post on your blog too! Leave a link in the comments!**

A – Age: just turned the big 30

B – Bed size: King

C – Chore you hate: hmmm, so hard to pick one.  Doing dishes is up there:)

D – Dog’s name: Mocha

E – Essential start your day item: 5 minutes of quiet (essential but often missed…)

F – Favorite color: purple

G – Gold or Silver: Silver

H – Height: 5′ 3″

I – Instrument in school: None…did take piano lessons when I was younger though

J – Job title: Photographer/Business owner/mommy

L – Living arrangements: house

M – Mom’s name: Bernadette

N – Nicknames: Shanny (this is very rarely said and reserved for family only, don’t get any ideas!)

O – Overnight hospital stay other than birth of child: nope

P – Pet Peeve: repetitive clicking or beeping noises (like alarm clocks, tapping a pencil)

Q – Quotes you like: Be the change you wish to see in the world.

R – Right or left handed: Left

S – Siblings: 1

T – Time you wake up: between 7-7:30am

U- Underwear: I have no idea what this means or what I’m supposed to put, but yes, I wear underwear.

V – Vegetable you dislike: raw onion (I don’t mind them cooked)

W – Ways you run late: getting home from a session…sessions always last longer than I think because I talk too much probably!

X – X-rays you’ve had: One…broke my wrist rollerskating

Y – Yummy food you make: random concoctions that we call dinner…blame my mom for letting us experiment as kids and Rachael Ray for letting me know its ok to guesstimate on amounts.

Z – Zoo favorite: Penguins

(image reposted from Pinterest)

I kinda feel like I have been on a roller coaster journey these past few months

that I have learned and grown more in them than in my 30 years

but at the same time I had the realization that I have so much more to learn

and so much more growth

and I’ve learned that growing pains can hurt sometimes

that patience is a virtue in more ways than I ever imagined

that God works in perfect timing

but having faith in your dreams is paramount

and most of all

I’ve learned that relationships are everything

in every aspect

life, love, existence, missions, jobs, dreams, passions

relationships make this life.

**

I have such a long long way to go from where I want to be as a person

but I’m realizing now that I have more than it takes to get there

its just about baby steps, consistency, and a dream

and realizing that there is, indeed, an invincible summer.

It’s been a while. I’m have blog block. You know, like writer’s block for your blog? It rears its ugly head usually in times of much thought and brain mumbo jumbo for me. Those times where I’m a little scared to post alot because in reality I can’t put into a cohesive thought all what my heart is saying and I’m afraid of rambling (much like now…). So today I thought a list would be appropriate, and help with the rambling. Kinda like a Ten on Tuesday, but on a Monday…and maybe not 10;)

1. I sit today one wedding away from my goal booking this year. I have a wedding at a beautiful plantation in South Carolina this weekend (yay Leslie!!). I have a focus on where I want to be in this life (and it requires some change…hard change). I feel very very very blessed for this.

2. Don’t get me wrong, my life is not glamorous and I am not naive in thinking it won’t ever be hard. I know this. Life is hard. And when I think about it what could be, how hard some people have it, it kinda makes me shiver a little. But get this, you have the possibility of life being hard no matter if you are stagnant or going for it all. So I’m choosing going for it all.

3. I was going through pictures of our family the other night to find something. Made me realize some things. #1, you can never take too many pictures of your family. #2, the more candid and real life the picture the better. #3, kids grow up way too fast. (this picture was taken after her stitches incident so pardon the random tape on her head:) )

4. If you are a photographer and stuck in a creative rut, change up lenses. Force yourself to shoot with a different lens when you normally have a go to for that situation, really helped me get super excited about my last couple sessions:)

5. Next time I go to Haiti is in August. Doesn’t seem quick enough.

6. Been really learning some good God lessons on patience, serving, and love lately. Tough but amazing lessons that are good for my soul. Long way to go but baby steps.

7. Alot of the serving stuff I have been learning is because of this book. Seriously a must to read if you serve in any sense.

8. ok…I’m think that is all the musings I have for the day:) Happy Monday!