Featured | Done Brilliantly

For those of you who remember the Audrey Heburn-inspired shoot that I did of Tara last year, I'm excited to say that it's being featured today on Done Brilliantly, the blog of Two Bright Lights!

It's my first non-wedding feature, which is really exciting. So be sure to click on over and give it a peek! :)

Marvelous Mondays | Secrets Maroma Beach

So, this might be a pretty obvious pick for this week....but seeing as how I'm leaving on Wednesday for Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun for a week-long vacation with my husband, it's clearly my favorite "thing" to think about this week. Hence the feature!

I cannot WAIT for an entire week away from work, emails, & busyness. It'll be so wonderful to get time at this lovely resort with my love to celebrate our 1-year anniversary (a couple months early, since the timing worked out better :). I don't think I really need to say anything else. For now, I'll leave you with this photo from the website, and once I return I'll show you my OWN photos of the gorgeousness!

Happy Monday!

Engaged | Danny & Janelle (Preview)

I love, love, LOVED shooting Danny & Janelle's engagement photos last week in Manassas, VA. Danny is a photographer, himself, so it's not only an honor to be chosen by a fellow photographer, but a ton of fun to shoot people who really appreciate and understand being on both sides of the camera. They were pretty nearly the easiest couple to photograph, ever. I don't think Janelle made a single expression that didn't look fabulous!

With that said, I just wanted to post a little sneak peek, because I'm super excited about how they turned out (which, of course, made it terribly hard to pick just a few for a preview). A fuller post will come in the future, but for now, enjoy these few. :)

Marvelous Mondays | My Wedding Album

One of my favorite things for the past month or so, ever since it's arrived, has been my beeeeautiful wedding album. Full of gorgeous moments captured by the amazing Rebekah Murray, this album is the product of about 6 months of indecision, designing and re-designing on my part. But at long last, I was able to narrow down my favorite photos and with the help of my friend Janet (who designed a handful of the spreads because I was too overwhelmed to know where to start), turned them into some lovely, but simple designs that let the story of the day speak for itself. I realize I'm biased, and it's ok if you don't like it as much as I do. It makes me tremendously happy on a daily basis, so I'm sharing it with you, regardless. :) (Well, sharing most of it....it's pretty extensive, so I left several spreads out...)

I lovvve seeing all of the details together like this!

Some of my very favorite photos from the whole day.

More fun details!

I love that the album comes with this cute pouch to store it in. (And clients, please note: this is the same company I use to get albums for YOU, so yours would be this beautiful and happy, too! :)

It gets stored on our bookshelf, easily accessible for continual enjoyment by me (and friends/family that come over and haven't seen it, yet!)

I love it sooo much and am so happy to have a tangible display of all of the gorgeous photos from mine & Aaron's perfect day. After discovering how seriously happy I am to have it, I'd majorly encourage any and every bride to invest in a beautiful album. It's more than worth it!

Portraits | Hannah (Preview)

This has been a bustling week, so far. And I'm waaay behind on posting shoots. But! I just HAD to go ahead and show a little sneak peek of the senior shoot I did on Monday in Forest, VA, with Hannah.

She picked absolutely perfect locations for the shoot and it was such a joy to photograph her. I'm SO happy with how the photos turned out that it was hard to pick just a few to edit and show for this preview. But, I hope you enjoy them. Stay tuned for more to come in the near future! :)

Goals | August

I love how I manage to keep breaking my own records for terrible blogging. Take, for instance, how THIS month I'm not blogging the month's goals a week into the month....no...but TWO WEEKS+ into the month. Gah. That's the kind of month it's been so far....

But! On the bright side. I still have goals, I've just tempered them a bit for an-already busy month that's going to continue on with the busyness.

Let's see how July went:

PERSONAL GOALS

• Continue working out at least 4 times a week (didn't quite make it this time...boo)
• WATCH LINDSEY & MARK GET MARRIED! (This already happened, but it WAS in July... :)
• Brainstorm and accomplish another for-the-apartment decorative project
• Continue cooking for Aaron, but try as least 2 brand new recipes (only managed 1 brand new recipe...)
• Have girl time with at least 4 different friends in person
• Call or hand-write at least 2 far-away girlfriends
• Mail the last Thank-You's!
• Make more progress catching-up on personal photo editing & uploading
• Work on organizing iTunes & all Music folders on computers
• Sort through all clothes & shoes and get rid of some!
• Shoot just for fun at least 3 times
• Start reading at least one book (I'm reading - and almost done with - The Scarlet Pimpernel!)

BUSINESS GOALS

• Make detailed weekly to-do lists
• Total all receipts/costs from May - July (made SOME progress on this!)
• Add mileage for both cars from June - July (also made some progress!)
• Blog at least 2 times a week (still/always trying this!)
• Finish researching and choose a company for online backup & off-site storage!
• Purchase new laptop!
• Edit 1 - 2 weddings
• Shoot 2 weddings
• Submit 1 - 2 weddings for publication
• Set aside weekly time to think about and brainstorm ways to improve and grow business practices

And now for August:

PERSONAL GOALS

• Work out 3-4 times per week
• Brainstorm another for-the-apartment decorative project & plan for accomplishing it
• Have girl time with at least 4 different friends in person
• Call or hand-write at least 2 far-away girlfriends/family members
• Make more progress catching-up on personal photo editing & uploading
• Shoot just for fun at least 3 times
• Finish last month's book & start another
• Visit the in-laws in Florida!
• Buy a new swim suit, but on clearance
• Prepare and pack for a week-long vacation in Mexico with Aaron!

BUSINESS GOALS

• Make detailed weekly to-do lists
• Total the rest of the receipts/costs from May - July
• Finish adding mileage for both cars from June - July
• Blog at least 2 times a week (still/always trying this!)
• Buy Photoshop & Office for the new laptop
• Edit 2 weddings
• Shoot 3 portrait sessions
• Get the 2nd half of my portrait shoot done by Becka!
• Create "ideal client" profile
• Create website inspiration board
• Open business savings account

So there we go! The month is already almost over, so I guess I better get (and keep!) my butt in gear. Here's to lost of efficiency and progress to be made!

This week, in particular, has already felt like a whirlwind even though we're only a couple days in because I was on vacation with Aaron visiting the in-laws down in Florida from last Wednesday to this Sunday. Thus, it's hard to jump right into a busy week after time off in a beautiful place with dearly loved people. Nevertheless, we're surviving it. And it only seems right to leave you with a few photos of just where we were....

Happy middle-of-August, everyone!

Personal | The Beauty of Calm & Consistent

Sometimes I have days where I just feel overwhelmed. Not defeated, not hopeless, not even stressed....just, overwhelmed. Usually in part by the amount of things that I need to accomplish for my clients, my business and my life, and in part by the things life throws at me that are completely out of my control.

Sometimes those things are incredibly deep, emotional, and hard to understand. Like the untimely death of a young man, through an accident that no one could predict or prevent. When sadness like this touches my life - even in a distant way, but personally affecting many people that I hold dear -sometimes I don't know how to just go on living and managing all the things on my plate.

But it's when I reach the state of this kind of overwhelming thought and feeling that I'm beyond grateful to be able to look to the One who more than knows what to do with all of the things set before me. All of the things that I'm responsible for, all of the things I feel ill-equipped to handle, and all of the things I can't understand and can't control. It's the reassurance of His all-knowing, all-understanding and all-loving ways that remind me I don't have to try to figure out how to juggle things that overwhelm me. I just need to look to Him, one day at a time, and walk in the grace and peace He freely and overwhelmingly provides to cover over even the most confusing life situations.

Today, I stand in immense gratitude of this grace and peace. And as I was pondering all of this, these photos of Fort Bluff, TN came to mind. The beauty and calmness of nature serve to remind me of how constant, unchanging, and stable God is. And in my life there's often nothing more amazing to me than knowing that God is a consistent, calm, stabilizing force that's the same yesterday, today and forever.

May you all be encouraged to rest in the grace and peace of the Lord, no matter what life is throwing your way today.