5/365 A Late One

One of the things my husband looks forward to most when going to visit family back home (besides family, of course) is a nice, cold, refreshing bottle of Ale8. The first Christmas I spent with my husbands family was the first time I had ever tasted, let alone heard of, an Ale8. I was told by Jason and his family that most people who didn't grow up on it, don't like it. So, I had my first Ale8 and this amazing thing happened... I loved it! Maybe because I like ginger ale, or maybe because it's filled with caffeine! Either way, it was yummy.

Ale8 has been bottled in Winchester, KY (where my husbands family is from) ever since 1926. It's nearly impossible to find it outside of Kentucky. Every time we go back for a holiday or a family reunion, we find refrigerators fully stocked at Jason's Grandmother and Grandad's house and at his Grandmom's. We usually pick up a few 6-packs to take back to Cincinnati with us before we have to fly back to Seattle. Jason's family even had some shipped to him while he was deployed.

I smuggled this bottle onto the plane during one of our trips a few years ago. Although these refillable bottles are no longer made, they still re-use them. But, I couldn't deposit this bottle... I had to take it home!

4/365 It's Arrived! My Kelly Moore Bag is here!!!

To all of my facebook friends that saw my Dear Santa letter and have been wondering if Santa brought me the Kelly Moore bag I had at the top of my wish list, this post is for you... :)

I have been carrying around the Quantaray camera bag that was free with the purchase of my dslr for well over a year now. It hasn't been the most user friendly bag for someone who likes to change out their lenses often during a shoot. Plus, it was bulky and awkward. Even though it was bulky, it wasn't quite big enough for all of my gear. Besides not being user friendly for me, it also wasn't very nice to look at. My search for an amazing camera bag was on!

There are quite a few vendors that have great bags for women (Shootsac, Epiphanie, Kelly Moore, JoTotes, Jill-E...). The only problem is, you have to purchase them online. It's very hard for me to purchase something if I can't see it and hold it first, especially when it comes to something I'll be carrying around and wearing quite often. So, I started doing a lot of research. I started by compiling a list of vendors/designers and compared various styles and sizes. I was able to cross quite a few different styles off my list right away due to their smaller sizes. I did more research... read quite a few blog posts from fellow photographers about their camera bags and did a lot of googling. I even went as far as contacting a photographer that has FOUR (count 'em, 1 2 3 FOUR) Kelly Moore bags. After much time and consideration, this is what I chose...

The Kelly Moore Classic in Muted Teal (visit Kelly's website HERE)

I could not be more excited about this bag. The UPS woman that dropped it off at my house this morning had a nice little laugh when I started jumping up and down! Right away, I had to open it up and start transferring all of my equipment. And, IT ALL FITS!

Many thanks and lots of love to my wonderful husband for ordering this for me! I love it and I LOVE YOU!

3/365 Nurture

Today, my son and I were having a good ol' time dancing around the living room and taking pictures. Jackson LOVES dancing and comes up with some pretty amazing moves for someone who isn't even two yet! One of his favorite things to do when he's playing is to tackle you to the ground. Once he has you pinned down, he will wrestle you for awhile and even start tickling you, saying "so funny, so funny, it tickles!" Anyway, I had my camera in front of my face, shooting away, when he came charging at me. I had no idea what I was really in for...
Just before he took a flying leap into me, he (I know it's a little gross... Sorry) vomited all over me. Luckily, it missed my camera and my brand new Ohio State hoodie! But, my pants and the floor were covered... :(
Jackson has never really had the stomach flu or vomiting... He did go through a phase where he found it extremely entertaining to gag himself, but that was nothing. I wish he were a little older and understood what was going on. At least that way, he could let me know if he was feeling sick again and we could get to the bathroom or to a bucket in time. He's still getting sick to his tummy and is experiencing some other symptoms of the stomach flu. It's not easy to watch your little one go through all the icky stuff. But, I am glad I'm here to take care of him. One of the best things about staying home is being there for him when he needs me, and lately, he seems to be needing me more and more. Even if it means getting thrown up on!

This photo was taken shortly after the first time he got sick... :( Bless his little heart!

2/365 Pampering Vs. Parenting

For all of you new moms and soon-to-be moms out there, you may want to take a few notes...

When it comes to what kind of girl I am, I am - always have been - and always will be a girly-girl. I love to be pampered! Whether it's getting a mani-pedi, a highlight and cut, a massage, or a day of shopping, I LOVE IT! What woman doesn't? Yes, I know you're out there, but come on now...

Once upon a time, I used to get a mani-pedi every few weeks. I had my hair cut and foiled every two months. I enjoyed a day at the spa getting a facial and massage every once in awhile. I went to the makeup counters at the department stores for mini-makeup makeovers and to find new colors and products to fall in love with. It's been almost two years since I did these things. Don't get me wrong... I still get my haircut, it's just been several months. I TRIED to grow my hair out to it's natural color and I almost made it... I was one haircut away from having no more highlights before I caved. For my birthday my cousin, Jenni, treated me to a pedicure and hot stone foot massage. (Thanks Jenni!) As much as I love all of these things, why is it that I don't find the time to do them? Because almost two years ago, I became a mom.

I'm sure you've all heard this before, but being a stay at home mom is the greatest job in the world, but it is also the hardest. I never get to clock out or leave my job. I spend my entire day with my son. We read, chase each other around the house, watch movies, and sometimes he even gets to help me cook. When we aren't having fun, I'm feeding him or changing his diapers or cleaning up something he has spilled or broken. After my husband gets home from work, it's time to do laundry or wash dishes. I rarely take time for myself. And when I do, I find myself feeling guilty for not being with my family.

Just yesterday, I went to the movies with a friend. It was the first movie I had been to since I was about 6 months pregnant. I was so excited to go see a rom-com with a good friend, but I found myself feeling like the movie was never going to end! I kept wondering what my husband and son were up to, and hoping that Jackson was being a good boy for daddy. After the movie, I picked up my mom and we went shopping (for my hubby and little guy... NOT ME!). The longer we were gone, the more I felt like I needed to get home to help Jason and give him a little relief.

Anyway, my whole point is this... When you become a parent, your entire life changes. You spend all of your time and energy caring for this little life that's full of huge surprises. This little version of you and your husband becomes your top priority. But, as fun and rewarding as it is, it is still stressful. So make time for you and doing something you enjoy. The biggest struggle I've had staying home with Jax is allowing myself time away from him, GUILT FREE. Going to the salon and having a day at the spa is something I enjoy and find relaxing, so I need to do it. I need to make time for MYSELF. And I need to remind myself that venturing out to the grocery store alone to pick up a gallon of milk does not count! Put a little time away for yourself and do something you enjoy.

This Gene Juarez salon package was a Christmas gift from my wonderful in-laws and I CANNOT wait to use it! Thanks Bob, Abbe, and Harrison!

1/365 Traditions

I know Christmas has come and gone, but I walked into my parents kitchen today and had to take these.

Growing up, my brother and I always got a new ornament every year. Sometimes the ornament would be from a family vacation or maybe it represented something we were interested in. One year, my mom found a beautiful ballerina for me because I took dance for several years. Another year, it was an elf talking on a cell phone... No explanation needed there! Every once in awhile, we were able to pick out our own ornaments and always searched and searched for the perfect one.

I could not wait for December 13th to come around so we could go cut down a Christmas tree at the tree farm. (I had to wait until the 13th because my brother's birthday is on the 12th and we always waited until after his birthday to start putting up our decorations and the tree.) We would bring the tree home and spend hours decorating it and wrapping white lights around it. The best part was getting the ornaments out of the box and unwrapping them, not sure which one we would find next. Each one unwrapped was another special memory with friends and family.

My brother and I would scout out the best branches on the tree for hanging our favorite ornaments and our mom would add clusters of ball ornaments strung together with ribbon, red heart ornaments, teddy bear ornaments, and sometimes a strand of red beads. Pretty soon we had so many ornaments, we had to get anoter tree!

The second tree was decorated with colorful lights and handmade ornaments from my grandmother. Most of the ornaments were made from felt and the cats would always find a way to remove them from the lower branches so they could play with them. We always found them scattered around the house.

It wasn't until recently that I realized how much time and love my grandmother put into these ornaments. My grandfather told me that she made thousands of these ornaments and gave them to friends and family... Each person getting about 25 each year! She passed away a few years ago, and we miss her so much, especially during the holidays. Every time I walk by the colorful felt ornaments, I am reminded of my grandmother and how much she loved the holidays.

A New Year, A New Blog

It's New Year's Day, 2011... As I sit here at my computer writing this, I reflect on all of last years ups and downs, all my accomplishments and failures, all the happy memories shared with friends and family (mostly my incredible son) and tragic losses of loved ones. So much has happened in the last year, and I imagine a lot more will happen this year.

It seems like life never slows down. The clock just starts ticking faster the older I get. I always find myself wishing for a few more hours each day. Then, maybe, I could cross everything of my list of things to do. I'm hoping to find some time this year to focus on my photography a little more. Not only am I expanding my portfolio, but I am also working on my branding. For me, this has been the hardest part about starting a business. I have some pretty clear ideas in my head of what I want, I'm just a little graphically design challenged. (Wondering if 'graphically' is a real word? Me too, but it sounded cool.) And, I'm REALLY hoping to find some time to focus on BLOGGING about my photography and what better way to do that than with a new blog.

So, here's to an exciting New Year!

So, I know it's been FOREVER since I last posted on the blog.  I think it's time for me to enroll in Blogology 101.  Keeping the blog updated is a struggle for me.  Why, you ask?  Well, I was never good at keeping a journal for starters.  I would write in mine for a few days every year or two!  Sometimes, I have a hard time figuring out what I want to blog about.  And, well, I'm a MOM!  It's hard for me to find time to shower everyday, let alone sit down at the computer and post.  (Oh yeah... One other thing I should mention... FACEBOOK!  Talk about a distraction!!!) 

Anyway...  It's only been a few months since I started my business and started booking clients.  There's still so much to learn and so much to do...  Order (MORE) samples, develop a website (or have one made for me!), purchase more equipment, continue building my portfolio, and much, much more.  It seems like there will always be something in this industry.  That's one of the things that I love about it.  With technology always advancing, there's always something to learn and better equipment to master.  And, I always face the challenge of finding new ways to be creative as an artist and a photographer.  I have learned so much in such a short period of time.  Looking back over some of my first sessions (the freebies and the workshops), I've realized how far I have come.  I'm starting to feel more confident in my work and in myself.  I am SO excited for what's to come!!!