My Life in Misc. Photos

We just returned from a trip to Indiana to visit my brother and see his senior holiday show with the Purdue Glee Club (on the header photo, my brother is second from the right in the second row with the glasses!).  It was a wonderful walk down memory lane as at one point in our childhood we lived in West Lafayette.  This time we didn't stop to see the old house, but it looks so different these days, I wouldn't have recognized it anyway.  I have tons of photos to edit and post and a few cute local places to blog about if any of you end up in the area!  The only bummer is I picked up a bit of a head cold... sore throat, congestion... all those lovely things.  It was so rainy and chilly this weekend!  But the cold is worth all the warm fuzzies of seeing my baby brother, traveling with Bear and my parents, and seeing my Oma, Opa, great Aunts, and Aunt Carol for a little bit!

How was your weekend?

The Magic Hour

I love how cozy our bedroom is.  I love reading by twinkle lights with a warm Sinful Cynthia kitty on my feet.  I love cuddling up next to my Bear and talking about our day, and planning our future a little bit at a time.  I love how in this moment, right before sleep and after a hectic day, I can let everything go and just enjoy being alive and in love.

So Busy! How to survive wedding planning "crunch time".

Our wedding is only 52 days away, and we really only started putting everything together for it a couple weeks ago!  It is incredibly stressful, and Excel kept crashing on me, deleting whole chunks of the guest list and info for people... ahhhh!  I know everything will come together, but with the holidays drawing nearer as well, right now I feel like my brian will explode.  Fortunately, Bear is helping me keep things in perspective, and I have an awesome team of ladies helping me out.  Everyone is super busy this time of year (imagine everyone who is working on the wedding also working on a holiday show, and you get the idea of "busy") so I spend a lot of time figuring out what is necessary and what is superfluous.  I am tapping a lot of resources I have built up over the years, in both people and supplies, and trying to stretch that dollar!

So today I have some advice for people who find themselves also planning a quickly approaching wedding...

1) Ask friends if you can use their talents.  I have lots of talented friends who are helping out in every way from wedding planning to DJing to being a human photobooth.  For a modest fee and free dinner and because they love you, you may be able to reduce the amount of wedding vendors you have to hire on.  Just be sure the people you assemble can do the job you want.  That being said, if you have a vendor you really want and can't live without, hire them (don't anticipate your amateur photog friend can produce the same images as that professional photog you've been dreaming of, for example... if they are on par, great!  But you don't HAVE to compromise if you can swing hiring the job out).

2) The internet is your friend.  I wanted a very handmade wedding, but with the time crunch, I can't afford the hours needed to create it myself.  I have outsourced a lot of the handmade details to very talented etsy sellers.  Dealing with a site like etsy?  A big tip that will help you go further: pay lots of compliments to the sellers you choose, but make them honest ones.  Don't say you love something that you don't, and don't tell them you are talking them up when you aren't.  If you are genuinely excited about working with a seller and have mentioned them to friends and passed their store name on to others, let them know!  People are much more willing to work with you and want to please you when you keep them happy, too.  I try never to take any seller I work with for granted, and always reiterate my appreciation.  Especially the sellers I have who are making me specialty items in a time crunch... I always try to be appreciative and tell them how awesome they are for all their hard work.  I also spend a lot of time corresponding with them, answering their questions, and honestly asking my own.  I give as much info up front as I can.  As in everything in life, honesty is the best policy!

3) When the stress gets you down, don't cause drama.  Have I had freak outs?  Yes.  Instead of posting my frustrations on my Facebook wall, I talk one-on-one with Bear about it, or write it down for myself.  Chances are, when I cool off, I am just stressed with the whole picture, not necessarily a single person, or even a collective of people.  Weddings are stressful and a lot of the decisions for details are presented to the couple.  If it really gets to be too much to handle, designate elements to your party or planner or someone you trust.  The thing you have to remember about that is that if it doesn't turn out the way you had envisioned it, you relinquished that role to someone else, and can't be upset about it later.

4) Take a break.  Yes, time is of the essence and the minutes turn to hours turn to days.  Before you know it, there is no time left!  BUT, it is better to take some time to yourself now, here and there in small portions, or a day off, than to turn into an uber-stressed bridezilla.  Because as much as we like to watch bridezillas on TV, deep down inside nobody wants to be remembered as one.

5) BE HONEST.  If you really don't like something, speak up.  If you let it go on, you can't be mad later.  This is the part I have trouble with (I am a people pleaser and hate making people feel their idea is somehow inferior).  More often than not, the idea you shoot down won't offend the brainstormer, they were only trying to see if you wanted to go in a different direction.

6) Keep everyone involved.  There are a lot of people involved in a wedding... it IS the merger of two families.  It's not always easy to involve that super-helpful brother-in-law or the eager great aunt, but they want to help relieve your stress.  This is not to say call everyone who may be blood relations for help, but those who are close who express an interest can be involved.  Pick tasks that you don't want complete control over and give them to the helpful family members with easy instructions.  Ask them to sit in on a crafty day for some detail that requires an assembly line.  If everyone is busy, they are typically happy, and the majority of possible drama is alleviated.

7) Take it all with a grain of salt.  Weddings are emotional, and emotions can run really high.  When news reaches you about a particularly passionate friend or family member, talk to them about their point of view and see how you can soothe the issue.  If that's not possible (or the individual just really likes to complain), remind yourself of the things you like about that person.  You really don't want to get caught up in the little irritants, especially with such a big event drawing near.  It's best to let it go, and have another little chat if a problem gets worse.

8) Make sure your fiance likes where the wedding is going.  It's his party, too!  If he happens to really hate the grey suits you liked, make a compromise instead.  Nobody wants a bitter groom.  (Yes, I picked out grey suits, and they wound up being really light grey... and then I realized with a red accent, my boo would look like PeeWee Herman!  Now, I love PeeWee, but I don't really want to marry him.  We made a different choice and now we're both happy!  Live and learn...)

9) Find a groove that keeps you productive but relieves stress.  Remember that bit about taking some time to not think wedding?  Yes, it's that important.  If you are a tightly wound person like me, find some routine that helps you unwind a bit every day.  I personally enjoy long hot showers and slow moving mornings.  I also read at night, which allows me to escape a little into the story.  During the day, I answer emails, check the guest list, and go over the checklist.  If I get overwhelmed, I take a break and check my blog list.  In this way, I am making headway every day without having horrible stress nightmares!

10) Remember the most important part of the wedding day is marrying your best friend.  If everything goes wrong, you will still have said "I do" to the person you love the most... and that makes it all worth while!

These are all lessons I learned, sometimes the hard way, and I hope they help you with your own planning!  If this post helps one person, I feel it has done its job!

Happy planning!

xo

Love...

My 365 Grateful project has really been keeping me on my toes!  I am so grateful for it, as ironic as that sounds!  It is so easy to forget to be grateful for the every day things that get us through life.

This week I've been grateful for...

* little colorful Buddas that remind me to smile and practice patience, peace, and to share joy....



* our upcoming wedding, which is incredibly stressful right now, but will be the day I will look back on fondly, with a  joyful heart...



* my wonderful, talented friends, who are helping me take my business to the next step...



* and my lovely friends and family who are expecting new life!



The wedding and life in general really has been stressing me out lately, but when I start to feel like I will explode, I edit my grateful photos of the week and upload them, focusing on all the wonderful things I have in my life.  It's the best therapy I have ever had.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Winter is knocking on our door, and I am trying to embrace it and let what will be, be... even though I secretly hope for late snow so our wedding allows our families easy travel!  haha

xoxoxo

To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn

There is a season.  Lately, it's been a time to mourn and a time to celebrate.  I've been grappling with loss again lately and while I am not ready to talk about it, I am honestly expressing why I have been so negligent about posting.



I am also working full steam on the wedding!  We have accomplished a ton of important things lately, from the venue to the catering, to dresses and tuxes and so on.  There are so many details to putting together a wedding that I just didn't spend time considering.  Of course, I got caught up in the littlest details, and some things that mattered a lot to me before matter less now.

In the past few weeks I learned a lot about things I can't control and things I can control, as well as things that while I could try to control them, are better left in someone else's control.  Letting go is not always easy, especially when it's something you really would prefer not to let go of.  Some things, like if the wedding party all wears satin or chiffon, are things to let go of and give up to majority vote.  In some respects, the last few weeks have really forced me to grow up and alter my perspective of the world and my little space in it.



I learned that sometimes it is hard to find something to be grateful for, but there is always something there, right in front of you, even if you don't see it right away.  Sometimes, you can't figure out how to photograph it.  Sometimes, it's obvious and impossible to not get the perfect image.  Sometimes, it doesn't matter if you managed to snap a photo, because that moment will live on in your memory.

I learned that life is precious and fleeting, but everything happens for a reason, and we don't always have control over the outcome of certain life situations.  You can only appreciate what you have and learn from loss or disappointment.  Everything helps you become a better person in the long run.  You should always learn what you can from every situation thrown at you, and take the time you need to celebrate, mourn, or explore deep thoughts you never knew you had.  Then, when the time is over, move on with your new-found knowledge and continue to live your life.



I spent a lot of time thinking about Bobby and what I had learned from him.  I focused on his love of life and his optimism.  I tried to apply it to my own hard times and turned to my family and friends for support when I needed it.  I learned that I don't always have to be strong on my own.  I learned that my Mom is still my rock and always has my back.  I learned that I truly lucked out in finding my life partner and couldn't have done better if I tried to design him myself.  My Bear is my hero, and I am so grateful for his love and support.



I learned that when I start to feel that old depression weighing down on me, I need to look around for something to make me smile and appreciate this life of mine, with all it's ups and downs.  I wrote out my feelings rather than bottling them up.  I wrote out my frustrations and my guilts, my hopes and my dreams and my sorrows and my joys.  I wrote until I couldn't write anymore.  And I left my depression in the pages and kept my joy in my heart.



I am writing now to tell you, my awesome readers, that heartache is a normal part of life.  Sometimes, things are not fair and we feel cheated with the hand we were dealt, but life doesn't have an agenda involving "fair" and "unfair".  There is no "short straw".  The whole point of living is experience.  The human experience.  It comes with pain and elation, suffering and leisure.  Without both sides of the coin, we would never truly appreciate one or the other.  Without moments of grief equal to our moments of joy, we would not fully experience life.



The time I was quiet on the blog I was living and struggling and laughing and crying and raging and contemplating and meditating... I went on an epic little journey to the edge of what I knew and back, and wanted to share it with you in a little way.  I hope you, too, will go out and make the most of the time you have with the people you share that time with.

I am still alive!

But I really have nothing to blog about...

Autumn is flirting with winter here, so one day I get this:



And the next it's back to this:



And as a result, my car has died.  So my mom and Bear get me to and from work, respectively.  I kinda miss the freedom of driving myself, though.  Hopefully my dad will get the thing fixed... but the next frost may do it in for good.  And I can't afford a new car!  Ah!

I am trying to keep up on my 365, but my camera settings somehow got a day behind and I thought I missed a day but I have no idea now.  So, it would appear I am on schedule...

Sorry for lagging so far behind, but the wedding and everything else in life is keeping me crazy busy right now!!!  AHHHHHHH!

Thanks for your patience!

xo

Photobomb Friday: Eternally Grateful

Yes, I know it's Thursday, but there is really very little in my life that I can talk about at the moment.  There are things I am obsessing about, but these things are not going to make their public debut for a while yet.  So, I am pretty much lacking good material to talk about.

We're working hard on the wedding stuff, and I am so lucky my girls are behind me 110%!  My mom has been incredible getting things from the idea stage to the reality stage, and Bear is going to sit in on more meetings and have more input, too.  It's such a relief to be getting this production under way!  But, like almost everything else in my life... these developments are also internet secrets.  Ha!

Anyway, I wanted to share my Grateful's from the past week!  If I have nothing to say, I may as well treat you to visuals!









As always, click through the image on the post to see the original page and read what it is I am grateful for for each day!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xo

A Busy Weekend of Shoots!

Well, my business seems to really be picking up!  I was just about to give up on the whole thing a month ago, and I am really glad I didn't!  This weekend included a puppy session at a dog park and a family session at a Local Park!  Needless to say, I was running around a lot after small pets and children!  It was a blast, though, and I am so lucky to get to create such memories for such wonderful people!





Two of the above images are in my 365 Grateful Project as well!  It's been over a week and I am still sticking to it!  Yay!

What did you do this weekend?  Anything fun?  Are any of you doing a 365 (grateful or otherwise)?  Leave a link in the comments!  I'd love to see!

xo

Photobomb Fridy: Grateful Again

So, I decided to do my 365 Grateful project all over again... this time, I am using my DSLR, since Instagram keeps uploading my images as black squares... grrr.

This is Monday through Thursday, as I haven't taken today's image yet.  It's super early in the morning as I type this, as in 5 minutes into Friday, and I am hoping to take at least one photo this week outdoors... with natural light.  The stories for each image are uploaded with the image on Flickr.  Simply click on an image to be brought through to its original page and read the little paragraph to uncover the element in it that I am grateful for!






I also want to take a moment today to mention the last image in a bit more detail... it depicts how grateful I am for my parents.  The picture itself is of my baby plate, DOB and weight, and underneath (not pictured) is my name.  My parents are wonderful people, who for a time when I was a teenager, I thought were close-minded religious nuts who had no ability to accept me for my mistakes and eccentricities.  Lately, I have grown much closer with them, and am beginning to understand why they were so strict while I was growing up, particularly in my teen angst years.  I am so incredibly grateful to my parents for their unyielding support, and their constant ability to fight for what they believe is right.  They have instilled in me a great curiosity about life, and a wonderful resilience.  They have made me stronger than I realized before.  Their love and support, trust and faith have impacted me more than I knew it could.  I am so very grateful to have been so privileged as to have been born to two such incredible people!  Love you, Mom and Dad!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo

This Past Weekend...

was a blast!  It was really quite busy, but good!

Friday I had a haunted work experience which has mostly explained itself by now, except for the creepy unknown caller... needless to say, I was definitely relieved to lock up and leave early, arriving home safe and sound!  That evening, Bear and I headed to the local Events Hall for the Derby we've been working on arranging for months!  I had never been before, and had a ton of fun!  Bear bought a "horse" and was a jockey for two races, and I was happy as can be, snapping away!  More on this to come!



On Saturday I had a noon meeting at the Local Theatre about the upcoming production of Cabaret, in which I am set decoration crew head and Bear is involved in lighting.  I wasn't able to attend until my photo shoot cancelled on me, so I packed up some paper and headed in to discuss the vision of the the Powers that Be.  We didn't really touch on my aspect of the production, but I have a better understanding of what's going on and know the rest of the staff, which is always a plus!  Not to mention I should be getting a script first... ever notice how the film versions NEVER match the stage ones?!?!?!

After the meeting I came home and vacuumed the whole apartment and gave the bathrooms a much needed scrub.  Gross?  Yes.  Dusty?  Very.  But afterwards, I felt so accomplished!

Then I remembered my sister-in-law was hosting a Tastefully Simple party that I agreed to attend.  I checked Facebook to verify the event time, and saw I had a last minute booking inquiry!  I managed to book a sitting for some very snazzy high school seniors off to their Homecoming later that night.  So, I attended the first half of the dinner party, tag-teamed in Bear when he got off work, and headed off to shoot the dance-ready group!



The client was the mother of one of my best friends from elementary school.  I really can't believe her other daughter, H, is a senior already!  It kinda blew my mind how grown up she was!  The kids in attendance were all really great, fun, happy teens who kept shocking me with their politeness.  Seriously, they all piled in SUVs to head off to dinner and rolled down their windows to thank me for a fun photo shoot!  I was a bit floored and I'm ashamed to admit I could barely stammer out my thanks.  Sometimes I underestimate people, I suppose.

But seriously, I can't get over how grown up H is!  I kept seeing the girl I knew when she was insistent that we play Barbie with her; and here she was, in a black strapless mini-dress with sky high heels and a boyfriend!  So crazy.

Sunday we went shopping a bit for groceries, a microwave, and a Blu-Ray player, since we've been DVD Player-less for over a year now.  I think it may be love.  I also picked up some new spray scents for the house and a couple dishtowels.  Gosh, I am so exciting.  Or I am really just getting old and boring.

Sunday night was family dinner night, and everyone made something.  It was weird having a dinner that consisted entirely of fried food, though!  We had oysters and hushpuppies, sweet potato and regular fries, onion rings, and chicken nuggets.  And by "we" I mean everyone had some of everything except me, I had chicken nuggets and regular fries and apple juice, like a big kid.  Dinner was really awesome, and pretty fun.  The night kinda ended on a downer with a sad phone call from a family friend, though.

It seems a lot of sad things have been happening to people around us lately.  It would be overwhelming, but I am beginning to keep a "happy list", of all my grateful's for just such occasions.  Now, when things take a turn for the tissues, I fortify my emotions with some small pleasantries.  I am seriously considering retrying my 365 Grateful project, and uploading my images to Flickr.  Every day brings a simple joy and I am determined to remember that, especially in the midst of so much sorrow.  Does anyone else keep a list of small happinesses?  Or has anyone else participated in the 365 Grateful project?

How was your weekend?  Anything new and exciting?  Can you tell me one thing that happened this weekend that YOU'RE grateful for?  Mine's having such supportive family and friends in life AND business!

Happy Monday!

xo

Photobomb Friday: We have MiFi!

Again, I bring you Friday's post on a Saturday... but I can because we got Mifi!  Which means I have internet at home (at least whenever Bear doesn't take it with him to work...)!

We are still working like crazy getting this place ready for guests and weddingness... the countdown is at a WEEK.  I've been having crazy stress nightmares that are simultaneously frightening and hilarious.  Bear is also setting lights for the Local Theatre's current show, so a lot of housework is falling to me right now.  It's so stressful, but it will all be worth it!

I am so lucky to have two jobs that are graciously letting me take time off for prep starting Thursday, but I probably won't be posting here as often as the wedding looms nearer.  I have a lot to do, from making decor to organizing my photo equipment and meeting with Patchie who will be my Second Shooter (her first wedding gig!).

So, today I am Photobombing adorable kitten photos to promote smiles and relieve a little stress.  Aw, kitties!

 The Scottish Fold above is was my Aunt's beloved Angus.  Sadly, he passed shortly after I took these pictures.  But, they are getting a new Scottish Fold Kitten, named Cooper!  My Aunt is from Scotland, and apparently the Scottish Fold breed were discovered in or originally bred in Coupar Angus, Scotland.  I have such clever family!

And because they are so darn difficult to photograph, I am reposting these images of Rummy and Dart:

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

xo

PS- Notice a lack of Grateful posts?  I am the worst at keeping up on one of those photo-a-day challenges.  Hopefully sometime soon it will make a comeback.  I am so ashamed... and just plain busy!