Marvelous Things Photography: The Blog

Featured | IT'S FINALLY HERE!

2012-02-02T16:48:00.007-05:00

Friends, friends, FRIENDS! I can hardly contain my excitement....but I'm SO happy to announce that my brand-spankin-shiny-new-blog is HERE! This excitement is second only to how I felt when my website launched a few weeks back. It's just so fabulous to finally have an online home and presence that really represents who I am, and my brand so incredibly well.

SO. Why waste another moment here? (I mean, don't get me wrong, Blogger has been good to me these past couple of years. But it's time to move on...) Head on over there to get acquainted with the new loveliness and please update your subscriptions so you don't miss out on any future Marvelous Things shoots, updates, or excitement! :) And if you weren't previously subscribed to my blog....I think now might be a good time to change that! ;)

Thanks for all of your support, friends! I'm so excited to continue all of our interaction on the new blog!

Goals | 2012

2012-01-27T11:15:00.001-05:00

I know January is almost over, but it's been a busy month - especially these last 10 days of traveling - and I'm just NOW finding the time to sit down and share some of my goals with you.

To be honest, I find writing "2012 Goals" to be rather daunting. I started the monthly goal system last year, and I find that's much more how my brain thinks. I like to set smaller, more attainable goals as I go, instead of large, longer-term ones that are harder to see immediately accomplished. But! I know both kinds are good. So, while I didn't kill myself to make an exhaustive year-long list, I did set a few in particular that I will share with you, as well as a few of January's.

So, what am I looking to accomplish in 2012? On a personal level, here are a few things that I and/or Aaron and I together are aiming for:

Save Money (I know, this is "cliche", but it's where we're at. We'd like to theoretically have enough for a downpayment on a house at the end of this year!)
Get plugged into a community group at our church
Continue to set monthly goals (this is really how I feel like I accomplish things, best)
Read at least 10 books (I'm aware of how lame that sounds to most of you, but I'm not an avid reader, so I have to start somewhere!)
Become a better woman, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. (I know that's broad, but it's a perpetual, life-long goal....)

As for my business, here are some things I'm targeting in 2012:

Launch custom website (Yay! This one got accomplished already!)
Design & launch custom blog
Make a video for my site
Develop and work within a specified budget
Establish a more specific weekly work schedule
Establish a more consistent blogging routine
Purchase more lighting gear, a macro lens, and a wide-angle lens.
Develop consistent packaging/gifting for my brand
Open a business savings account
Attend WPPI for the first time!

There will inevtiably be more things I add to both my personal and business goals for the year, especially as I make my monthly lists. But, this is my starting point, so I wanted to share!

Also, no post is complete without photos! So, here are some shots of the lovely waterfall that wasn't far from the amazing lodge Aaron & I were at (for a TeenPact event) last week in Oklahoma.

What are some of the things YOU'RE aiming at this year?

Portraits | Daniel & Sally

2012-01-15T15:37:00.004-05:00

First of all, I just want to thank everyone who has checked out my NEW SITE and given such positive feedback in these past few days. It's SO exciting to know that others are loving it and excited about it, and mostly, that they feel it reflects ME perfectly. That's exactly what I was going for, so, thank you for the encouragement and affirmation and celebrating along with me! :)

Secondly, I've been meaning to show off this mini shoot that I did with my amazing brother and sister-in-law, Daniel and Sally, at Christmastime in Florida. We were hanging out at my in-law's house (which is beautiful, and the backyard is a lake!) so I couldn't help but snap a few shots of them. Especially since they have NEVER had any kind of official or professional shoot done, except their wedding. No engagement photos, even. And that's just not acceptable! So, I hope you enjoy these few shots of two amazing people who I'm blessed to call family AND friends.

Isn't Sally SO gorgeous?!

Featured | NEW WEBSITE!

2012-01-12T13:24:00.005-05:00

My friends, today has been a long time coming. For the past several years, since starting my business in 2008, I've had the dream of one day being able to afford a custom website, designed entirely for Marvelous Things Photography, alone. No generic aspects that you can just change the color of to match your brand. (Now, don't get me wrong, that's what I had for the first few years, because it's what I could afford, and what worked. It was a good place to start!) But today is the day where my dream has become a reality, thanks to the incredible BRILLIANCE of my amazing friend Jen, from Deleted Space Creative. She's the one who designed my logo a couple years ago, and I knew she was the only person I could fully trust with the continuation of my branding and design. And ladies and gentleman, I was not wrong in that trust. The site is TRULY all that I hoped it would be, and so, SO much more.

This photo, and this Pinterest board were my starting inspiration for the site. I didn't know how it was going to translate to become a site, but I showed it to Jen, and asked her to somehow make it happen. And what resulted is the PERFECT interpretation of all the elements I loved so much. It's been so fun collaborating with her throughout this process, and realizing at every turn how we had the SAME vision for things. So, so exciting.

I also want to shout out a HUGE thank-you to my amazing clients who wrote up testimonials for the site, and most importantly, to ALL of you who have let me into your lives throughout the years. I wouldn't have a collection of work I'm so happy about and proud of, if it weren't for you. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart for being friends and supporters and for allowing your BEAUTIFUL selves to make my new site so lovely. :)

And now....without further ado....click on over and look at all the new gorgeousness of marvelousthingsphotography.com, for yourselves!

I hope you all love it as much as I do! :D

P.S. An entirely new blog and design is up next, and will be coming within the next week or 2....so stay tuned!

Engaged | Danny & Janelle

2012-01-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

In case you didn't see the link via Facebook, Danny & Janelle's engagement session was featured on United With Love on Friday!

I'm so happy to have it shown off, and I thought this would be a great time to blog the rest of my favorites that didn't end up on the feature!

Danny & Janelle are two of the most joyful, genuine, adorable and completely IN-LOVE people I've ever met! They're amazing to hang out with, and a breeze to photograph because they just glow with love ALL the time. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they're just ridiculously good-looking, either. :)

Janelle is just STUNNING.

And I love how much spunk these two have. :)

Seriously, these are two of the coolest people in the world. Hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into their amazingness!

Wedding | Peter & Karilee

2012-01-06T16:56:00.004-05:00

So, remember how I said I was going to work on being better at blogging in 2012? And that in January, specifically, I was going to (attempt) to blog all of the weddings/shoots from last year that never made it on here? Well, today starts said mission!

The first wedding I shot last year was for my dear friends Peter & Kari. It was the PERFECT way for me to kick off my 2011 season, as it was a gorgeous outdoor event, held at the private residency of some family friends of their's, here in Virginia. It could not have been more perfect, or more perfectly suited for THEM. Kari wore her grandmother's wedding dress (which was also worn by her mother), and her great grandmother's veil. There were so many special and sentimental touches to the whole day. But enough talking about it! Why don't you just see for yourself. :)

Is this flower girl a CUTIE or what?!

Kari's mom MADE all of the jam that they gave away as favors!

One of my favorite processional images EVER:

As the sun went down, the party began! (And believe me, it was a kickin' dance partaaay :)

Was it not a truly stunning wedding? Peter and Kari worrrrked it for the camera SO well, and several of their portraits remain top favorites that I shot this year. It was just such a beautiful, fun wedding to be part of!

And in case you didn't see it, they were featured on Glamour & Grace's blog in November! :)

A huge thank you to Peter and Kari for being incredible friends, and having me alongside as such a special part of your big day. I wish much happiness on you as you approach your 1-year anniversary. :D

2011 | A Year In Review

2011-12-30T00:26:00.005-05:00

One of the things I plan to do better at in 2012 is blogging. I didn't do many of the events/portraits I shot this year justice on this blog - as in, many of them just haven't shown up here at ALL. I've always had intentions to get them here, and it just hasn't happened. So, I figured the least I could do is show a few favorites from this year, and try to mentally prepare myself (and my blog) to be thrust into a brand new year in just a little over a day. My goal in January is to show you all of the weddings and shoots that didn't make it here over this year. So, consider this post just a taste of what will be fully coming next month, WHILE recapping what took place in 2011. :)

I was so privileged to shoot some amazing weddings this year. So a BIG shout-out and heartfelt thank-you goes to my incredible brides & grooms:

Peter & Kari | April 23

Scott & Courtney | April 30

Josh & Elisa | May 21

Matt & Susan | May 28

Joe & Talia | June 5

Chris & Sarah | July 16

Brad & Megan | July 21

Ben & Amie | September 17

Justin & Denise | September 24

Danny & Janelle | October 8

Nick & Ashley | October 15

Jeremy & Rachel | November 5

I also got do some great portrait sessions - both paid and just for fun. So, here's a little recap of the lovely people I worked with on those:

Aimee & Emily | At The Beach

Mady | 2-Year Portraits

Zach & Alyssa | Anniversary Shoot

Bethany | Just For Fun

Hannah | Senior Portraits

Danny & Janelle | Engagement

Nick & Ashley | Engagement

Brandon & Erin | Family Shoot

Emily & Caleb | Engagement

Haggards | Family Shoot

Aimee | Just For Fun

Daniel & Sally | Couple Shoot

So, as you can see....it's been an AMAZING year. I've done some of my favorite work ever this year, and it was incredibly hard to try to just sum it up in one post. So, honestly, that's not really what I'm trying to do. Mostly, I just want to express my gratitude for you wonderful people that have let me into your lives - into your special days and moments - and allowed me to capture them for you. It's been a tremendous joy and privilege, and I look forward with MUCH anticipation to what 2012 holds for me personally and professionally.

I'll be focusing on goals for 2012 in January, as there just isn't enough time left in this year to post everything I want to! Hah. But, Aaron and I have been spending some amazing quality time with family, and I wouldn't trade that in for anything. :)

Hope you all have a WONDERFUL New Year! I'm so grateful for all of you, and your encouragement and support. I look forward to continuing this journey in 2012, with you all by my side. :)

Personal | A Warm & Married Christmas

2011-12-22T14:12:00.004-05:00

So, I don't know about you other recently-wedded folks, but there's something equally as exciting to me about spending my second married Christmas with the man of my dreams as there was my first one, last year. Maybe (hopefully) this is how it's supposed to be - and will always be - richer and more exciting with EACH passing year. That's what I hope, and if this year is telling at all for the years to come, I think it will be...

In addition to being the second Christmas I get to experience as a Watson, it's also the second Christmas I'll be experiencing in Florida. Which, as you may guess, is a drastically different feel than that of an Indiana Christmas. Thankfully, though, the closeness of family and the quality time spent with them is very much the same feeling I've always known growing up. I love my in-laws to pieces, and if it takes parting with the proverbial white Christmas (that I will still always be dreaming of) to spend the holiday with them, then it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

So, if anyone is lucky enough to play in the snow this Saturday, send some chilly thoughts our way as we'll be sipping iced beverages by the pool and/or lake and looking at lot like this...

That expression pretty much sums up how Aaron feels about all of the Christmassy aspects of Christmas...like the music, movies, shopping, decorations, pictures being taken...he really ONLY likes the part about getting to be with family. But I guess if he's going to choose just one, that's a good one. (It goes without saying, of course, that he likes the part about Jesus, best of all. Just fyi.)

We leave bright and early tomorrow to brave the 14-hour drive to the golden land of palm trees and Watsons. So, wish us luck, send us texts, say prayers, and mostly....have the BEST Christmas ever and enjoy time with YOUR families!

Marvelous Mondays | Apartment Christmas Cheer

2011-12-19T13:36:00.004-05:00

On this Monday the thing I find to be most marvelous, as I sit and work on lots of editing from home, is, in fact, my surroundings. I love Christmas, especially decorating for it, and I'm quite happy with how things turned out this year.

Now, as a disclaimer, it IS just a tiny apartment and I DID try to decorate with things we already had. So, it's by no means super glamorous or worthy of a design blog, or perhaps even Pinterest. But it's my little home, and it's the second Christmas I get to spend with the love of my life. So, it warms my heart and I really enjoyed working with what we had to make it as festive as possible! Thus, I thought that made it worthy enough to feature for today's post.

I thought I would do a little compare/contrast with how it looked last year, so we'll go "room by room" (even though there's only two rooms ;) from last year to this year.

Last year's dining room:

And this year's:

I got a little more creative with the centerpiece and, as you can tell, we have things hanging on the wall this year that we didn't last year, since we had only been married for a little over a month at that point.

We got these fabulous candlesticks for our wedding - and they were originally perfectly shined silver. But, over this past year they tarnished and I decided to leave them that way because they look more gold, which matches the ornaments better, and more vintage. :)

(Hey look, it's me!)

Last year's Christmas tree:

This year, we just did a little table-top one (which will be explained in a moment):

The miniature ornaments were ones my siblings and I grew up with, from an advent calendar, that I borrowed from my Mom, the red beads are 3 necklaces that I had, and the "topper" is a ring of mine. Hah. I was proud of myself for being able to decorate it with stuff I already had. :)

Last year's living room:

This year we have a bookshelf, and thus lost our great Christmas tree spot. :-/

I love these vintage design postcards I bought from Bygone's Vintage Boutique here in Richmond and just had to incorporate them, somehow.

Since we don't have a big tree, I hung ornaments from all the windows:

I new favorite given to me by one of my amazing clients this year! We're hoping it gives Aaron the hint to get me the REAL thing.... ;)

I also blinged up our coffee table center piece:

And the top of our kitchen cabinets:

Annnd I made a wreath to add a little cheer to our not-so-pretty apartment door:

So there you have it! The Christmasized Watson apartment of 2011. :) It brings me great happiness, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. How did each of YOU decorate this Christmas?

Portraits | Aimee

2011-12-14T14:36:00.005-05:00

Annnd, now that it's been almost a month since my last post, here's a little something to change that! (In all fairness, you should know that part of why I'm so terrible at blogging is because I have a shiny NEW one in the works, right now. It's hard to want to post on this one when I know I have a muuuch prettier one coming in January. But! I'll muddle through until then. Just know that some things I'm holding off on purposely...)

Anyway. Aaron and I headed to Indiana to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, and while there Aimee and I took advantage of the not-too-cold weather to do an updated shoot for her. I love the casual look she went with, and the wilder hair. (Maybe I'm biased when it comes to the hair...) Plus, the color tones are some of my favorite ever. Hope you enjoy!

Engaged | Caleb & Emily

2011-11-16T18:10:00.003-05:00

So, I'm fully aware that it's been a while since I've posted. And that I have GOBS to catch up on in posting. Many-a-wedding, several-a-portrait session, Boston travels, and a November goals post to boot! BUT. Timing necessitates that I show you THIS engagement session that's rather close to my heart. You see, my darling cousin Emily is marrying this guy named Caleb in just 2 1/2 weeks! I did this session for them last time I was in Indiana, a week and a half ago, and since they're going to want some prints for said upcoming wedding, I wanted to get these done and shown off ASAP! A week and a half later isn't as quick as it could have been, of course, but life just didn't slow down like I needed it to. At any rate, without further ado, please enjoy this lovely, even if rainy, autumn engagement session on Butler's campus of one of my best friends celebrating her soon-to-be union with one of the world's luckiest guys. :)

If you can't tell, Emily laughs a lot.... :)

Gosh, I love fall.

She is SO stunning. Look at those bluuuue eyes!

Are they not just adorable together? Cannot WAIT to be part of their wedding in just a matter of days! :)

Personal | Boston Preview

2011-11-02T11:09:00.004-04:00

Whew, it's been a busy couple of days since arriving back home from Boston. It was a FANTASTIC weekend, but it's always tough going from a little vacation straight back into work. But alas, such is the life of a responsible adult!

At any rate, in spite of all the work I'm trying to get done, I just couldn't keep myself from showing a quick preview from the weekend. (Plus, I know the girls are gonna be eager to see some, as I took the vast majority of photos out of all of us....)

So here's a little peek!

More to come, soon, as well as November goals and a slew of weddings and shoots that really, really need to make their way onto this lovely blog. :) So, stay tuned friends!

Personal | Bound for Boston!

2011-10-28T11:08:00.004-04:00

I'm sorry all's been silent on the blogging front, lately. Things have been as bustling as ever, and I'll definitely have lots of shoots/weddings/etc to show off in the very near future. BUT, for today I'm really excited about heading to Boston for the weekend with several girlfriends to celebrate THIS girl's birthday! Much like the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, I've never been to Boston in the fall, so I'm incredibly thrilled with this chance to do just that! Can you say coffee shops, clam chowdah, shopping, Mike's Pastries, more coffee shops, and more shopping? Yes, PLEASE. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and are enjoying the gorgeous fall colors (if they haven't already disappeared in your part of the country, yet). My camera (of course) is going with me to Boston, so I'll be sure to give you a peek into our happenings upon my return. :)

Happy almost-November, friends!

Goals | October

2011-10-07T11:47:00.004-04:00

My WORD, time passes way too quickly, these days. I suddenly realized that it's October and already time for another month of different goals to achieve. To be honest, that overwhelmed me a bit. I feel like I've been letting myself down, a bit, with what I'm NOT achieving....which I realize is the wrong perspective to have. It's so much better to look at what IS accomplished and be proud of that, but since we're all our own biggest critics, I have a feeling the rest of you probably identify with being more prone to look at your "failures".

Nevertheless, silly as it may sound, I'm proud of myself for continuing to even have and set goals, in spite of occasional discouragement or lack of accomplishment. Sometimes the most important thing is to just keep trying, no matter how imperfect the results. So, with that said, lets look back on September!

PERSONAL GOALS

Work on journaling more often following Bible-reading/prayer
Work out 3-4 times per week (I've really failed at this, this month. I've been so unmotivated, and while I've hit 3 times a week for a couple of the weeks...the others have been more like 2 times. Gonna try to get good and motivated again!)
Order a wedding photo on canvas with my Groupon!
Work on 1 or 2 other small decorative things for the apartment (I ordered two MORE canvases & have begun the brainstorming process for a shadow box project...)
Have girl time with at least 4 different friends in person
Call or hand-write at least 3 far-away girlfriends/family members
Make more progress catching-up on personal photo editing & uploading
Cook/bake at least 2 new recipes (I did this, this & this!)
Finish last month's book & start another (Finally finished The Scarlet Pimpernel & am now reading and almost done with Phantom of the Opera :)
Start a temporary, part-time job!

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total the rest of the receipts/costs from May - August
Add mileage for both cars from August
Blog at least 2 times a week (still/always trying this!)
Submit 2 shoots to blogs
Shoot 2 weddings
Design 1 Wedding Album & 1 Portrait Album
Create "ideal client" profile
Open business savings account

As you can tell, my main dissatisfaction comes with how few of my business goals I've been getting done....But alas! Now for October:

PERSONAL GOALS

Work on journaling more often following Bible-reading/prayer
Work out 3-4 times per week
Put together shadow box with wedding materials
Hang canvas prints
Have girl time with at least 4 different friends in person
Call or hand-write at least 3 far-away girlfriends/family members
Cook/bake at least 2 new recipes
Finish last month's book & start another, in a different genre
Show my parents around Richmond/DC! (They're visiting later this month! :D)

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total the rest of the receipts/costs from May - August - FOR REAL
Add mileage for both cars from August - FOR REAL
Blog at least 2 times a week
Submit 2 shoots to blogs
Shoot 2 weddings
Design 1 Wedding Album - FOR REAL
Create "ideal client" profile
Open business savings account - FOR REAL
Begin working on new website & blog with designer!
Don't get discouraged and keep making goals!

So, as you can see a lot of my business goals are the same...but this month, I mean it! I really, really want and need to get those things done. And most importantly, I want to not be discouraged even when months go by and I don't meet as many of my goals as I'd like. Progress is progress is progress, no matter how much or little!

Stay encouraged, friends! This year is coming to a close sooo quickly, so finish strong! :)

And in parting, I leave you with a few shots from Tuesday night at the Virginia State Fair with Aaron, Lydia, Paul & Lily!

Portraits | Bethany

2011-10-02T17:19:00.004-04:00

It's craaaazy that it's October, already, and that it means I've lived here in Virginia for almost a year, now. (Furthermore, that I've been married for almost a year, now!) Time seriously flies by quickly, these days. (It seems to be part of adulthood....)

One of the things I've been most grateful for in this last year are the new friendships the Lord has blessed me with since moving here. It's been so wonderful to deepen friendships with those I used to know merely as acquaintances and to start and build some brand new relationships, altogether. One of the latter has been with this beautiful, bubbly, vibrant girl named Bethany.

I first met Bethany last December at a friend's Christmas party. She had recently moved back to the Richmond area (where she had grown up) after living elsewhere for several years, and I had just recently moved to the Richmond area after transplanting from Indiana due to my aforementioned marriage. It's hard to say why we hit it off so instantly - whether because we're both just social, outgoing, friendly people who enjoy making new friends (which is true!) or because, in a sense, we both were the "new kid on the block" and sensed that affinity in each other. Whichever it was, I'm SO glad it happened. Since last December Bethany has become such a good friend to me. She's hung out on many-a-girl-night with me, given me company when Aaron has been out of town and I felt lonely, referred clients to me, gotten me a temporary job at the office where she works so we can hang out together AND get paid while doing it (brilliant! ;), and made me delicious lattes on more than one occasion. She's one of the most energetic, encouraging and cheerful people I know (not to mention gorgeous) so you can imagine how thrilled I was back in July when I asked, on a whim, if she'd be willing to do a spontaneous shoot with me and she agreed!

It turned out to be a SUPER humid evening, but she was a champ, nonetheless, and the only sad part is how long it's taken me to post this shoot! So, without further ado, check out my beautiful friend Bethany. :)

We started out shooting in a little wooded area behind my apartment complex, since the sunlight was so pretty.

After a while, we decided we needed some air conditioning and a change of scene, so we headed off to Cafe Caturra for the second part of the shoot.

Is she cute, or what?

Just look at those eyes!

She also always wears fun accessories - she's got a great sense of style!

Trying not to be scalded by the coffee, haha.

It was SUCH a fun shoot - of course it always is when all you're really doing is hanging out with a friend, and snapping some pictures along the way. :) Thanks for being a great model and great friend, Bethany!

Wedding | Zach & Alyssa Anniversary Shoot Part Two

2011-09-20T13:33:00.005-04:00

Now that I've made it past the weekend, and shot another beautiful wedding (for which you'll see a preview soon!) I figure it's time to sit down and show off the rest of Zach & Alyssa's fabulous shoot. You guys are eager to see it, right?! That's what I thought.

So here we go! :)

It was so convenient to have this lake and park just two minutes down the road from the cute antique area.

Alyssa is just so beautiful!

I told him to whisper romantic things to her, here....but I think he went a slightly different direction with it....haha.

Still, we managed to get some sweet, romantic moments. :)

I this one is so cute.

At this point, Alyssa accidentally ended up in a fire anthill and got completely ATTACKED. So, while we were planning to make it to the lake, eventually, it became a mad dash attempt to get them off of her. She was a champ, though, and managed some great modeling in spite of having legs on fire. :)

I love the ripples and the reflection in this.

It was definitely a pretty muddy lake...

Haha, like I said.....muddy....

It was SUCH a good time, and they were sooo much fun to work with. I hope you all enjoyed the results of this as much as I do! And Zach & Alyssa, thanks for rocking each setting so amazingly! You guys were beyond fabulous. :)

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Wedding | Zach & Alyssa Anniversary Shoot: Part One

2011-09-17T20:18:00.007-04:00

I'm insanely behind on posting weddings & photoshoots. And this isn't exactly starting in chronological order (meaning, there will be weddings from way back in the Spring that will soon be making their way here) but I just love this 3-year anniversary shoot that I did with Zach & Alyssa sooo much that I decided it's time to fully show it off! There are SO many favorites, though, that I'm splitting it up into two posts. So this is just part one!

I met Zach & Alyssa back when I shot Jeremy & Ana's wedding in September of last year, and was thrilled to pieces when Alyssa said she wanted to do an anniversary shoot + trash the dress session. After several months of trying to get something scheduled it FINALLY happened in July in the cute, historic town of Cameron, NC.

Our first location was the fantastic Dewberry Deli. An old-time ice-cream parlor and antique shop in one!

(I love that they ordered a sundae to share! :)

After ice cream, we wandered up to the second floor of the building, to the antique shop.

"M" is for their last name, Murray. :)

Alyssa is SO gorgeous, she makes all of these photos amazing!

She made her pretty hair piece!

Of course there were all kinds of cool little knick-knacks and things to look at.

Zach is in the military, so Alyssa thought it would be fun to grab some cute, patriotic shots. (And I think they rocked it!)

After we shot for a while at Dewberry Deli, we wandered to a few other places in the historic downtown area.

We happened upon this great tea-room place, and the ladies who worked there were so sweet and offered free lemonade for Zach & Alyssa to enjoy during the shoot (which was the perfect beverage on a warm July afternoon)!

THIS cracked me up.

Of course, Zach is hilarious, and Alyssa wasn't able to keep it up for too long... :)

Our last historic location was this porch. Probably my favorite. The lighting and colors were just so great!

Do they know how to wooork it or what?!

I hope you enjoyed all of these super fun photos. It was such a fun shoot! Stay tuned for Part Two which will cover the photos we took at a nearby park/lake....where Alyssa trashed the dress. :)

Goals | September

2011-09-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

Man. I clearly don't have a great track record, lately, with posting my monthly goals in any kind of a timely fashion. (If I'm being honest, I almost forgot about them entirely for this month!) But I still live by "better late than never" and hope you'll all continue to bear with me!

Lets take a look at last month:

PERSONAL GOALS

Work out 3-4 times per week (didn't quite hit it this month...)
Brainstorm another for-the-apartment decorative project & plan for accomplishing it (made a little cute/decorative earring holder to show off some of my favorites that match the bedroom colors :)
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 (finally finished The Scarlet Pimpernel....started A Swiftly Tilting Planet)
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! (woohoo! see photo below...)

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 (got one done, still working on the 2nd... :-/)
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

All in all, not a bad month! There are always plenty of things to work on, but I'm grateful that this continues to give me a way to track my progress and see what I've accomplished each month. Here's what I'm aiming for in (what remains of) September:

PERSONAL GOALS

Work on journaling more often following Bible-reading/prayer
Work out 3-4 times per week
Order a wedding photo on canvas with my Groupon!
Work on 1 or 2 other small decorative things for the apartment
Have girl time with at least 4 different friends in person
Call or hand-write at least 3 far-away girlfriends/family members
Make more progress catching-up on personal photo editing & uploading
Cook/bake at least 2 new recipes
Finish last month's book & start another
Start a temporary, part-time job!

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total the rest of the receipts/costs from May - August
Add mileage for both cars from August
Blog at least 2 times a week (still/always trying this!)
Submit 2 shoots to blogs
Shoot 2 weddings
Design 1 Wedding Album & 1 Portrait Album
Create "ideal client" profile
Open business savings account

So, we'll see what I can get done before this month slips away! But before I scurry off to get back to being productive, I'll leave you with a little sneak peek of our lovvvvely stay in Mexico....

Marvelous Mondays | Givers

2011-09-12T11:24:00.002-04:00

Hello again, blog-reading-friends! It's great to be back from (an amazing!) vacation (which I will tell more about in the near future) and getting into the normal routine of life, again.

For today's post, I just had to share the band that I keep finding myself listening to, lately. I first heard of the Givers from Promise Tangeman who mentioned them in one of her blog posts a while back, and I instantly loved them. However, I didn't really spend time listening to all of their stuff until this last week. At times it reminds me a lot of She & Him, (which is wonderful because I love them) and yet they have a perkiness to their sound that's totally unique. Needless to say, you really should just watch the video below and allow yourself to be swept up in the catchy tunes, as well. So, without further ado, my latest music fascination, the Givers:

Featured | Done Brilliantly

2011-08-30T14:53:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-29T15:08:00.003-04:00

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)

2011-08-24T17:56:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-22T13:10:00.005-04:00

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)

2011-08-18T23:44:00.004-04:00

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

2011-08-16T22:40:00.005-04:00

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

2011-08-02T15:26:00.004-04:00

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.

Bridal Portraits | Elisa

2011-07-26T11:15:00.005-04:00

Back in May I had the privilege of capturing the lovely backyard wedding of Josh & Elisa, but even before THAT (yeah, I'm a little behind in blogging photos...) I got the chance to do bridals with Elisa. It was such a fun opportunity to hang out with her and her mom Karen and get some beautiful shots a few weeks before the wedding. I mean, what bride doesn't want extra opportunities to wear her wedding dress?

I love the way she did her hair. A soft, loose, natural look that still complimented her dress.

And how fun are her pink tennis shoes?? I love it when brides add touches of personality and spunk to their wedding day attire.

Can you tell she was excited about getting married? Haha.

It was wonderful getting to know Elisa and capturing her fun personality! She made a beautiful bride and I hope you enjoyed seeing snippets of that.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Marvelous Mondays | The Journey: By Miss Elaini

2011-07-25T16:26:00.004-04:00

While having coffee with my dear friend Lydia last week we got on the subject of clothes and fashion - which, being two females who enjoy our clothes, is probably not surprising. But, somewhere in the course of that conversation she mentioned to me a blog where this girl had committed to wearing the SAME dress for 100 days in some way to raise money for a charity. She couldn't remember all of the details, but the fashion challenge alone was enough to fascinate me, let alone knowing that it was somehow linked with a good cause. So when Lydia sent me the actual link to the blog today, I knew it was something I wanted to share.

Meet Miss Elaini. She started this blog about her Journey to bring awareness and raise money for orphans in India. But instead of just pleading with people to donate, she chose to DO something that would not only keep her focus on her mission but be a bloggable adventure that could be followed by anyone interested in helping her achieve her goal. She committed to wearing the same black dress for 100 days in order to represent the fact that most children in India only have one outfit, and that the focus of this goal is to raise money so that they can afford a school uniform and have the chance to further their lives through even basic education. I LOVE that she's utilizing something I enjoy, which is fashion, to bring focus and passion for a greater cause. Go check out her blog, read her personal story, and please consider donating to support her efforts. People like her inspire, encourage, and challenge me to look at my life and realize that there are SO many ways I can make a difference in this world if I'm just willing to be creative and give of my time and talents.

May her journey challenge, encourage and inspire you all today, too. Happy Monday!

Marvelous Mondays | 31 Bits

2011-07-11T16:23:00.005-04:00

I think it's no secret to anyone who knows me even remotely well that I love jewelry and accessories. It doesn't seem to matter how much I have of any one kind - earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings - if I come across a great item that would add wonderfully to the family of jewelry I already have, I happily integrate it in. So, being that I have this love for fun accessories, I enjoy spending time on google, etsy, ebay and others, searching for fun, new finds (even if just to ooh and ahh over them). But I was especially happy to stumble upon 31 Bits when a fellow photographer recently recommended it to a bride looking for jewelry for her wedding day.

Upon first clicking on the site the images of beautiful, colorful jewelry instantly caught my attention - as did the type of bead used in each piece. I immediately recognized it as the same type used in a necklace that a friend had gotten from Africa and given to me a couple years ago. So, much to my surprise (and pleasure) I realized that this company not only designs beautiful pieces of jewelry, but for a great purpose. Here's a snippet of what's written in the "about" section:

Kallie Dovel traveled to Uganda in the summer of 2007, getting a first- hand look at life in Northern Uganda. While she was there, she met women making paper beads but who lacked a plan to market and sell them. After spending time in their homes and hearing their stories, Kallie knew there had to be a way to give opportunities to her new friends. She brought a box of jewelry back to the U.S., and spent the next year finishing her degree and dreaming up the concept of a development organization. She brought a few friends on board and her ideas quickly evolved into 31 Bits. The girls traveled back to Uganda in August 2008, and selected six women to begin buying jewelry from on a monthly basis. Since then, we have grown to 63 women; each with a unique story of suffering that has been overcome with joy and liberation.

I absolutely love the fact that I could be supporting someone continents away simply with the purchase of a fabulous bracelet or necklace. (I currently have my eye on the Sunkissed necklace... :) I love the purpose and vision of this business and just wanted to share it with all of you as my latest and favorite (and affordable) marvelous find!

Goals | July

2011-07-11T00:03:00.006-04:00

So, I'm really getting good at the whole posting-my-monthly-goals-a-week-into-the-new-month thing. But, you know what? Better a week into the month, than not at all!

Admittedly, summer is a crazy time of year to try to maintain any sort of normal life schedule, because it feels like this photo...something's always moving, and routines get a little blurry.

Granted, EVERY time of the year is a little crazy, but summer especially brings things like "wedding season", "vacation" and "friend's wedding" to the table. All of which have happened recently or are still happening now or WILL be happening soon. It's not an excuse, but it's a little bit of an explanation as to why I'm having a harder time than some of the previous months with not only keeping track of my goals, but accomplishing them. Nevertheless, it's humbling and motivating to continue to share my progress (or lack thereof) and to maintain HAVING goals, even when the going gets tough. So, here's a recap of last month:

PERSONAL GOALS

Continue working out at least 4 times a week (The only exception, I believe, was when my sister and cousin were visiting...)
Brainstorm and accomplish another for-the-apartment decorative project (It ended up being just ordering, framing and hanging some prints for the living room - but it's something!)
Make 2-3 meals per week, without Aaron's help (I may not have COMPLETELY hit this, but I've been doing a good job!)
Invite friends over for dinner at least once
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
Order Wedding Album! (YAAAY! Finally!)
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

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total all receipts/costs from May - June
Add mileage for both cars from June
Blog at least 2 times a week (still/always trying this!)
Finish researching and choose a company for online backup & off-site storage!
Finish researching laptops/desktop monitors
Purchase new laptop (So close! Just haven't done it, yet....)
Edit 2 - 3 weddings
Submit 1 - 2 weddings for publication
Attend 1 seminar/conference

Not bad results, overall, but can you tell my downfall for business goals are the no-fun tax related kinds of things? Siiiigh. I really need to get better at staying up-to-date on my receipts and such, because it would just make the end of the year that much easier. I have good systems in place for gathering and keeping all of the needed info, I just need to sit down and total it up more frequently. Hence, this month's goals!

PERSONAL GOALS

Continue working out at least 4 times a week
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
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

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total all receipts/costs from May - July
Add mileage for both cars from June - July
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

The rest of this month is pretttty busy with shooting and traveling, but I'm truly going to aim high and seek to achieve as much as possible. Wish me luck and tell me what YOU hope to accomplish this month!

Personal | When Friends Come to Visit

2011-07-01T15:01:00.004-04:00

My life has been jam-packed with awesomeness, lately. And that awesomeness primarily exists of awesome people. Take, for instance, the fact that currently I'm sitting on my parent's couch in Indiana awaiting my dear friend Lindsey's wedding festivities which will begin in JUST a matter of hours. This weekend actually marks my first ever experience as a bridesmaid. I've been a flower girl and I've been the bride, but never before a bridesmaid. And I can say I'm truly honored and excited to be getting the privilege of standing up alongside such a dear, life-long friend on the most important day of her life. Not to mention it's a fun change to be on the OTHER side of a wedding and seeing it from the perspective of a wedding party member. I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like to be photographed in the way that I'm so used to photographing others. :)

But anyway, since the wedding hasn't happened yet, and I don't really have any photos or updates about that, lets step back a few days and talk about LAST weekend. Because it was pretty darn awesome, too. My darling sister Aimee, my spunky cousin Emily & a very witty friend, Will, all descended upon Richmond to visit the Watson household for a few days. Awesomeness and hilarity were bound to ensue, and many, MANY quotable moments were created. I love it that they all found it worth their while to spend the time traveling to Richmond and made US their priority. I tried to remember to snap at least SOME photos in the midst of all the fun...

Emily, me and Will hanging out at the apartment, right before embarking on a game of Monopoly (which Aaron creamed all of us in).

Aaron was the banker with the new fangled "electronic" version.

Aimee trying to make a wise decision....

Me trying to make a wise decision... (this game takes concentration!)

I just love my beautiful cuz!

I told the other 3 to get together for a photo and this is what they did....

I said the gap was a little large and it looked awkward, so this was then the progression...

It cracks me up how Adam just keeps getting closer, and Aimee and Aaron continue to look awkward. Hah.

Aimee and Will. (The man with invaluable comments, advice and opinions about practically any and everything... from the music at Panera, to the discontinuation of scents at Bath & Body Works to cooking, Anderson Cooper and beyond!)

We capped off the wonderful afternoon with some tasty snacks for the evening. Adam was particularly excited about the watermelon.

On Monday, since Will, Aaron and Adam had to go back to work and normal life but Aimee and Emily weren't leaving until Tuesday, we girls decided to live it up and have a relaxing, enjoyable girl day. We started with some quality time at Barnes & Noble, then spent a couple hours soaking up some sun at the pool and topped it off by getting manicures before meeting up with Lydia for coffee. Basically a fantastic Monday, if you ask me. :)

Emily's nails...

Mine... (I wanted something light and pretty for the wedding this weekend)

Aimee's...

Coffee/tea/hang out time!

Self-Portrait group photo (not bad, if I do say so myself)

And friend pictures! Because all too often I fail to get these type.

The crazy travel-buddies.

Photos all around!

After our photo spree, Emily decided that she loved Aimee's new glittery sandals, even though they're about a foot too big for her.

Then I started randomly aiming & shooting without looking. Which actually came out with decent results, and managed to amuse me for a while... ;)

Basically, fabulous times were had by all. It was a perfect weekend and I already can't wait until the next adventures that we all get to have together! But for now, I'm off to do some shopping with my mom before rehearsal tonight! Yay for dear friends, good times and happily-ever-afters. :)

Marvelous Mondays | Aimee Bontreger

2011-06-27T16:55:00.004-04:00

I love weekends. And I really love when Mondays are occasionally an extension of the weekend. I mean, who doesn't want to lounge by the pool, do a little shopping and get their nails done all on a Monday afternoon when they'd normally be working? I, for one, would take that opportunity any day of the week.

AND, as it happens, today has been exactly that. Why? Well, not because I own my own business and can set my own schedule (no, honestly, I don't do this every Monday), but rather because my super awesome sister and my equally fabulous cousin drove all the way from Indiana to hang out with me for a few days! This, people, makes me happy. I love these two a TON and our time together is always filled with much laughter, moments of spontaneous movie quote-age, random bursts of song and always-enjoyable heart-to-hearts.

So, this brings me to today's truly follow-worthy feature:

Aimee Bontreger's Blog

Sure, I may be biased in thinking my sister is very talented and a tremendously gifted (not to mention witty) writer. But, I'm most definitely not alone in those sentiments. She's committed to blogging every single day, and because of that you'll find quite the variety of subjects sprinkled throughout her posts. From the conspiracy of midwestern windmills, to interviews with noteworthy and talented individuals, to dream interpretations and exciting real-life experiences, Aimee's blog is sure to have something for everyone. Her writing ability is truly remarkable and her unique personality is pretty much like none other. I love the real, in-person individual that she is, but now that we live in other states and often have long distance communication, I love that her blog is a place to keep up with her latest musings and catch continual glimpses into her personality, thoughts and humor. So, without further ado, head on over to her blog and start reading! (And then follow her on Twitter and tell her how awesome & hilarious she is. :)

And furthermore, enjoy the rest of your marvelous Monday! I know I shall. :)

Marvelous Mondays | Super 8 & Lissie

2011-06-20T23:11:00.004-04:00

Ok, so, it's 11:15 p.m. on Monday evening as I write this almost-missed Marvelous Mondays installment. And yes, I DID almost forget it entirely. Though, to my credit, I remembered it earlier today, when I distinctly had to be working on other things, and then forgot about it for the rest of the day until now. Don't you love how honest I am about my inability to blog faithfully? You're welcome, readers. Now go feel better about yourselves.

At any rate, it IS still Monday and I DO have some things to share that I've recently found to be particularly marvelous.

1) Super 8

JJ Abrams & Steven Spielberg are considered amazing for a reason. I just saw this fantastic summer blockbuster on Friday night with my husband, and we both enjoyed it from the very start to finish. Complete with middle-school banter, alien-inspired chaos, and legitimate suspense, it pretty much has something for everyone. I laughed, I cried (for real, a little bit) and nearly jumped out of my seat and onto Aaron a few times. It's "super" well done and hits home in one way or another for the kid at heart in all of us. Go see it on the Big Screen, if you can. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.

2) Lissie

For months, now, I've been greatly enjoying the raw, raspy talent of new singer/songwriter Lissie thanks to my sister. I continue to be impressed at how I enjoyed every single song on her debut album "Catching A Tiger", and never find myself skipping any whether while I'm editing photos, cleaning the apartment or driving in the car. She seems to be the perfect accompaniment for me at any given time, and when I find myself enjoying an artist THAT frequently, I know they're worthy of being shared. So, go give her a listen. Maybe you'll find that you enjoy her as much as I do. And if not, I think that's a shame. But at least you'll have given her a chance.

So, there you go! Another peak into some things making my everyday life feel a little more marvelous.

Goals | June (& a catch-up post of the past couple weeks!)

2011-06-09T10:18:00.003-04:00

Ooook. SO. I haven't blogged in over two weeks. And while I realize this is very bad, I feel that you should know it's because I hadn't been HOME in over two weeks. And folks, lets face it, it's really hard to sit down and blog when you're photographing a week-long convention, or three weddings, or spending time with your family, your in-laws and other family friends that you rarely see. As much as I'm trying desperately to be a better, more consistent blogger (and I really am trying!) real-life people interactions will always come first. Because those are moments that you can't get back if you step away from them. So, please forgive the severe lack of posting of late, and know that I AM excited to get back in the swing and have much to share!

1) Kylin & Jordan Featured!

To start off with, I don't want to gloss over the fact that the beeeautiful wedding of my friends Kylin & Jordan recently got published in the summer edition of DIY Weddings Magazine! I'm so excited that not only can you buy the digital version of the magazine, therefore it's being featured online, but you can also buy it in PRINT! This is the first official thing I've had published in print, so that makes me excited. Plus, I love showing off my gorgeous friends and the wedding that they put so much lovely effort into! So, you should definitely check it out!

2) May Goals Update

As always, the things in bold are what I did accomplish. It was a bit of a rough month, as we were busy/gone for about half of it. So, have mercy on me as you read the list...

PERSONAL GOALS

Continue working out at least 4 times a week (I did this the first two weeks, but not the second two...)
Brainstorm and accomplish another for-the-apartment decorative project
Make 2-3 meals per week, without Aaron's help (8-10 for the month) (again, the first two weeks when we were home, I did!)
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
Order Wedding Album!
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!

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total all receipts/costs from January - April
Get mileage for both cars up to date
Blog at least 2 times a week (trying this again!)
Finish researching Business Insurance options & decide on a company/policy!
Finish researching and choose a company for online backup & off-site storage!
Finish researching laptops/desktop monitors
Make a list of prioritized purchases!
Edit one bridal shoot
Edit two weddings
Shoot two weddings
Prepare for & lead the photographic team at TeenPact (the organization my husband works for) National Convention

So, as you can see, THIS time around I did a lot better with business goals than personal ones. But hey, any progress is still progress!

3) June Goals

All right, here's what's on the agenda for this month (even though we're already over a week into it, now). The personal goals are nearly staying the same, because so much went unaccomplished last month.

PERSONAL GOALS

Continue working out at least 4 times a week
Brainstorm and accomplish another for-the-apartment decorative project
Make 2-3 meals per week, without Aaron's help (8-10 for the month)
Invite friends over for dinner at least once
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
Order Wedding Album!
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

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total all receipts/costs from May - June
Add mileage for both cars from June
Blog at least 2 times a week (still/always trying this!)
Finish researching and choose a company for online backup & off-site storage!
Finish researching laptops/desktop monitors
Purchase new laptop
Edit 2 - 3 weddings
Submit 1 - 2 weddings for publication
Attend 1 seminar/conference

There we go! Here's to June and much (hopeful) productivity! Stay tuned for more posts to come about all the things that took place in the last several weeks!

Marvelous Mondays | TeenPact National Convention

2011-05-23T11:25:00.000-04:00

After the fiasco of missing last Monday's installment of Marvelous Mondays I'm proud to be bringing you today's post from Dayton, TN where I'm residing until Friday. What am I doing in Tennessee, you might ask? Well, I'd love to tell you, as it leads to the feature of today's post.

TeenPact National Convention

That's right! It's TeenPact National Convention this week, and instead of sitting at home on the sidelines while my amazing husband helps lead a team of incredible staffers and hundreds of students, I have the privilege of tagging along. Not only is it great to see where the organization has come in the last several years (as I was heavily involved, myself, back in 2005 through 2007) but I get to see it through different eyes than ever before; as a photographer telling the story, not only of the week, but of the heart of the ministry. I'm so excited to be here and using my passion to pour into an organization that I'm also passionate about. If you don't know anything about TeenPact, take a few minutes to read up about it on their website. They really ARE changing lives to change the world. And to stay in-the-know on HOW, you can keep up with them on Facebook, Twitter and BEST OF ALL, watch the live stream of events going on this week here in Tennessee! There's a lot of excitement that you'll want to check out (speakers, live worship sessions, student presidential elections, and so much more!), so tune in whenever you have the chance. (Especially during Aaron Watson's session - I may be biased, but I know tons of people would heartily agree. My husband is one incredible speaker. :)

This year's TeenPact Intern Team

Because this event is my entire focus for the week, I'm leaving it as the only marvelously featured item. It's that worthy, people! I hope you'll check it out, and you can definitely be sure I'll be sharing some photos from this week, after the fact. So stay tuned, friends, and thanks for taking the time to read about it. :)

Portraits | Mady & Family

2011-05-20T16:33:00.005-04:00

A couple weeks ago I got to head out to the beeeautiful property of Tree Hill here in Richmond to do 2-year-old portraits for one of the world's most adorable little girls. Her mom, Allyson, who is a photographer herself, had contacted me a few months prior and as we communicated about the shoot I got more and more excited about meeting and shooting her precious daughter, Mady.

As most people know, 2-year-olds can be pretty independent and when it comes to photos....sometimes entirely uninterested and uncooperative. But Miss Mady was in good spirits throughout the entire shoot, and even while being rather on-the-go (and incredibly fascinated with the silos - and by that I mean, she knew this word and frequently pointed up to them as we explored the farm. Talk about a smart kid!) she was a dream to work with. She laughed and smiled a lot and, I'm sure you'll agree, is just an outright photogenic child.

Look at her eyes! Such beautiful innocence.

She got pretty fascinated with the grass...

We made sure to take photos of Mady and Momma, too. :)

And some shots with Allyson's boyfriend, Reid, too. Aren't they just a cute little family?

And then Mady went off exploring, so I followed her... :)

And THESE are some of my favorites from the day. Such precious moments of mother and daughter. :)

Then we had a brief outfit change, and went exploring (near more silos!). Tree Hill is such a gorgeous area!

Definitely wanted to grab a few of just Allyson and Reid, as well. I'm thinking these two have a lot of fun together, in life. :)

We finished by checking out one more field.

And these are some more of my absolute favorites. Allyson and Mady are just so precious!

Mady meeting a ladybug!

And to end on another STUNNING photo...

So, as you can see, I had a BLAST photographing this gorgeous girl and this wonderful family! Thanks, Allyson, for having me do your photos and I hope you guys enjoy them as much as I have! :)

Marvelous Mondays | Oops...

2011-05-17T22:39:00.007-04:00

You know what's awful? To realize it's Tuesday and that just ONE WEEK after starting my first weekly blog series I've already missed the second installment of Marvelous Mondays.

Good going, Tori. Very smooth. Way to remember to post on Monday once it's the following Tuesday.

And thus marks the story of my blogging life, so far. I have great intentions, people, but it just takes me a little time to catch reality up with those intentions.

SO. Please accept my apology, and for now, lets assume it's going to be an every-other-weekly series...and that not posting yesterday was actually artistically intentional, somehow.... K? Great.

Besides, maybe I was too pre-occupied with finally posting my honeymoon photos yesterday (only 6 months after the fact...) that it distracted me from otherwise sharing something marvelous. But since my honeymoon (in Jamaica!) was marvelous, I'll leave you with a few snapshots to enjoy.

Happy end-of-Tuesday, friends! And really, there WILL be more real Marvelous Monday installments in the future...as soon as my remembering abilities catch up with all of my plans. :)

Featured | Jared & Samantha on Lucy Dylan Weddings

2011-05-12T10:20:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to see that the beautiful wedding of my friends Jared & Samantha was featured on Lucy Dylan Weddings, yesterday! The only thing I love more than getting to document gorgeous wedding days (especially of friends) is seeing others excited about them and wanting to share them so that even MORE people can experience the beauty and creativity that the bride put into her special day. So, special thanks to LDW for wanting to feature their wedding!

I loved reading the behind-the-scenes info that Samantha provided for the post. She's so talented and put so much thought into each detail - which really showed in the way everything turned out. Such perfect touches of elegance and class! But, don't listen to me ramble on about it, head over to the blog post and read what Samantha had to say!

Marvelous Mondays | Return to Me, Pinterest & Starbucks Happy Hour

2011-05-09T13:46:00.009-04:00

For a while now I've wanted to start a blog series that would allow me to share all the random things that I enjoy in life. This isn't an uncommon kind of series - several friends and bloggers I know do this. Many of them on the weekends, though (when, of course, you're happy to be released from work and free to think about and do lovely things). But, for me, sometimes I need that inspiration and happiness at the beginning of the week, when all of the impossibly-long to-do lists seem overwhelming and daunting and I'm just not sure I'll even MAKE it past Monday. If any of the rest of you are like me, then perhaps this new weekly series will be a welcomed pick-me-up for you, as it will be for me.

So, friends and readers, allow me to introduce "Marvelous Mondays"! I happen to really like alliteration (even in all of its cheesiness) and with an obvious play-off of my business name, I thought this would perfectly sum-up what I hope to do each Monday, from now on. And that is to simply show you things - ranging from potentially incredibly brilliant inspiration, to perhaps insignificant silly little knick knacks - that make my Mondays (and my life, really) feelmarvelous. There will never be any rhyme or reason to which things I choose to showcase, but that's what makes it so lovely. It's a way for me to let you all in on the many different aspects of things I love and appreciate in life.

So, without further ado....here we go! This week's Marvelous Monday items:

1) RETURN TO ME

So, last night I tried to watch a movie that I'd rented from Blockbuster, but for some reason it would not play. So, Aaron and I resorted to watching something we already own, instead. After much debate as to what it should be, we settled on Return to Me. One of my all-time favorite chick flicks. I love watching favorite movies at random times, especially when you finish it still convinced of its remaining one of your favorites. Not only is there charming romance, there's Chicago-style hilarity via Jim Belushi and Bonnie Hunt. If you haven't seen this 11-year old gem, do yourself a favor and pop it in some evening when you want to laugh, cry and be swept off your feet.

2) PINTEREST

So, I'm not exactly the first one to realize how awesome Pinterest is. In fact, I'm pretty late in catching on to it. I actually still haven't pinned much, but I lovvvve looking at all of the pretty things others have pinned, and it's certainly inspiring me to get better at it, myself. It's just such a brilliant concept to make digital inspiration boards SO easy. There are endless possibilities for designing themed boards and I'm pretty sure anyone, regardless of their interests, could get addicted to finding and pinning (or re-pinning) beautiful things.

3) STARBUCKS HAPPY HOUR

I needed to run some errands, and it worked out perfectly that it happened to be between 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. I made a quick stop in at Starbucks and happily got a grande frappucino for half of its regular price. I haven't had a frap in a long time, actually, as iced lattes are my main go-to. BUT, let me just say that a new favorite is for sure a caramel coconut frap. I haven't tried their normal mocha coconut, yet, but I'm pretty sure it would be hard pressed to rival my own caramel coconut combo. I love those two flavors more than just about any others and it was the perfect afternoon delight on a warm, sunny Spring Monday. Go take advantage of Happy Hour while it lasts!

And that concludes this week's features. Hope you all enjoy what's left of this Monday and will check back in next week for more current favorite things. :)

Goals | May

2011-05-04T12:14:00.003-04:00

All right, I'm not gonna lie. I've been putting off this post these first few days in May.... 1) because I was in Indiana this past weekend, and was a little busy but, 2) because I didn't do as well on goals in April as I wanted, and I've not been looking forward to staring at it on paper and showing my lack of accomplishment to the world. BUT. The point is that I had goals, and do again for this month. And that some - even if not a lot - of progress is most definitely better than none. Right? Yes, that's what I choose to believe and thus have a whole new, clean slate for May and will hopefully achieve more than April. :)

With that said, lets take a look at how April went (items in bold are what I accomplished):

PERSONAL GOALS

Continue working out at least 4 times a week (only exception being when I was in Indiana...)
Brainstorm and accomplish 1 for-the-home art project (it was more home decorative than artistic, but still! It counts. See photos below. :)
Make at least 5 meals without Aaron's input (including but not limited to pan broiled rosemary lamb chops with a side of veggies, coconut chicken with mango salsa, mexican chicken with black beans, rice & fresh tomatoes/onions and lemon-pepper chicken with sauteed asparagus & onions!)
Have girl time with at least 4 different friends in person
Call or hand-write at least 2 far-away girlfriends
REALLY Finish writing Thank-You's (except for 3 that Aaron, specifically, needs to write...but since that's out of my control, I'm still writing this off as a success!)
Mail the last Thank-You's
Order Wedding Album (another step closer! But still making final decisions on layouts...)
Finish catching-up on personal photo editing & uploading (I made some progress, but it's nearly never-ending, it seems...)
Organize iTunes & all Music folders on computers
Help my Mom pick out frames & wedding photos to print when I'm in IN at the end of the month! :)

BUSINESS GOALS

Get all receipts from March in order
Blog at least 2 times a week (trying this again!)
Finish researching Business Insurance options & decide on a company/policy
Organize all 2010 pictures on all computers/hard drives
Finish researching and choose a company for online backup & off-site storage
Research new laptops
Research new desktop monitors
Make a list of prioritized purchases

Ok, clearly my business list is TERRIBLY unaccomplished. BUT, what wasn't on the list is that I shot two weddings and some bridal portraits and traveled to Indiana for the weekend. All of which took time and were accomplishments in and of themselves that I should have thought to put on the list.... Needless to say, I will be adding many of these back on May's list....

But first, check out the latest Watson apartment decor!

I've dreamed of having a plate collage for a long time. (It was always one of those, "When I get married and have a place to decorate...." sort of dreams) And I'm SO excited that I finally have the start of one. :) I hope and plan to have a wall decorated with only plates, at some point, but for the size of the space we have, right now, I really like the plate and picture combination. The best part is that Aaron already had this picture, and most of the plates were found for really cheap at thrift stores (only two were bought for regular price from Pier 1).

I love how perfectly our place mats (that we got as a wedding gift) and the napkin holders (that I also found for cheap at a thrift store here in Richmond) go with the look and feel of the collage.

It all makes me so happy, and I still periodically squeal with delight and thank Aaron for hanging it all up for me. (Our interior decorating styles/preferences aren't very similar at all....so the fact that he not only is ok with this, but helped make it HAPPEN is very sweet. I have a pretty great husband. :)

Ok, now that we've seen my current apartment happiness, lets get on with goals for May:

PERSONAL GOALS

Continue working out at least 4 times a week
Brainstorm and accomplish another for-the-apartment decorative project
Make 2-3 meals per week, without Aaron's help (8-10 for the month)
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
Order Wedding Album!
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!

BUSINESS GOALS

Make detailed weekly to-do lists
Total all receipts/costs from January - April
Get mileage for both cars up to date
Blog at least 2 times a week (trying this again!)
Finish researching Business Insurance options & decide on a company/policy!
Finish researching and choose a company for online backup & off-site storage!
Finish researching laptops/desktop monitors
Make a list of prioritized purchases!
Edit one bridal shoot
Edit two weddings
Shoot two weddings
Prepare for & lead the photographic team at TeenPact (the organization my husband works for) National Convention

May is definitely a full month, especially with National Convention. But here's hoping I can still get a LOT of goals accomplished!

How did you all do with your goals in April? And what are you hoping to accomplish in May?

Weddings | Personality-Filled Details

2011-05-01T02:02:00.004-04:00

I love shooting weddings for friends, especially when those friends are as wonderful and lively as the Blake family. From Courtney, the bride, to her parents, brothers AND sisters....the whole family is just packed with spunk, personality, hilarity and wit. And her brand new husband, Scott, seems to be pretty spunky, himself.

All of which made for one heck of a fun wedding today (well, technically yesterday, now....)

And while I most definitely should be going to bed, now, so that I'm not tired for church tomorrow, I just wanted to share two fun shots, because I LOVE when the wedding party has an aspect of personality-filled details that create a spunky opportunity for memorable photos.

And these guys, certainly had just that.

If all groomsmen could be that awesome, and that wonderfully dressed, I'd be a happy photographer.

Today was absolutely wonderful, but I'll blog in more depth about Scott & Courtney's wedding later. For now, enjoy the inspiration for adding fun wardrobe details to YOUR wedding, or heck, just your regular life. A bit of pattern and a lot of color can't help but do the heart good. :)

Happy weekend, friends. Hope you're enjoying it!

Personal | Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T22:46:00.003-04:00

I know I've been failing at my blogging goals (again) this month. But the fact that I blog significantly more, now, than I did at this point a year ago is still progress in my mind...

But, what I really came here to say was Happy Easter, my friends! I truly hope each of you has enjoyed a beautiful, blessed day with loved ones - reflecting on and cherishing, most of all, the love and salvation that comes from a risen, ALIVE Savior. I'm grateful that today, and every day, I'm made worthy in the sight of the Lord because of what was accomplished on the cross. And furthermore, what was made complete by the resurrection. What a beautiful cause for celebration!

I'm grateful, as well, for this first Easter spent with my husband! (Quick self-portrait taken before church this morning - don't mind the hair eating my face, or Aaron's skeptical look. Both are pretty common...)

AND grateful for family-away-from-family (we love you Shanks/Haggards! :)

I missed seeing my own family today, but I'm happy knowing I get to see them this weekend and am mostly just amazed by all the many ways God loves and blesses me. May YOU all feel loved and blessed, as well!

Personal | Teapots, Flowers, & Happy Bridal Showers

2011-04-15T14:46:00.007-04:00

Even though I've lived in Richmond for over 5 months, now, I still often feel like "the new girl in town". Not in a bad way, but in the sense that I'm still adjusting to my surroundings and getting to know people. And I feel like that's probably perfectly reasonable and normal. I mean, 5 months isn't really that long, after all. But because of that, one of the things that I've looked for and put intentional effort into finding is opportunities to hang out with and get to know other ladies in the area. For those of you who know me, you know that I love people and I really value making new friends, and deepening relationships with current friends. So, when I got asked a couple months ago to work with two ladies I hadn't yet met to head up the decorations for the bridal shower of a friend (and my first bride of 2011! :), I quickly volunteered. Especially when I found out the theme was a "vintage tea party". Could there BE a better combination than making new friends AND creating a pretty environment based on a theme that was perfectly up my ally? I think not.

So, throughout March I worked with two fabulous ladies - Gail (who organized the entire shower) and Anna (who was my decorating partner-in-crime) to pull together this envisioned theme, culminating in what I'd say was one very successful (and pretty!) bridal shower on March 26th. It was fun to put my creative energies into a new facet and to get to know both Gail and Anna who are most definitely as amazing as I'd heard they were. :) Plus, it was really fun to get to do something for Kari as a friend, before getting to take on the role of her wedding photographer. (Both roles are pretty equally awesome, and I'm so grateful to be her friend AND to be entrusted with documenting her day. I can't wait!)

Without further ado, here are some of the pretties of the day. :)

We created the entrance spot with this cool hutch (that Kari & her fiance Peter already had!) and lots of random stuff compiled from me, Anna, Kari & Peter's moms, and other generous friends.

One of the main things we wanted to incorporate in the "vintage" aspect were photos from Kari & Peter's own families. So, this awesome large portrait is Kari's mom. How cool is that? Every bride should have something awesome like that for their daughters to one day admire. :)

We then used these black dividers to lead the way down the hallway to where the shower was taking place.

And even had Peter's grandmother's dress on display!

The table-top decor, probably my favorite, was made up of a different hat box, teapot, and pair of gloves on each table.

Accompanied by a different set of China (belonging to someone in either Peter or Kari's family) on each table. I love the way it all looked elegant and flowed wonderfully, while being eclectic.

(Btw, it was super fun to get to put some of my own favorite teapots to use....the green, brown, and ivory floral ones. And I really love the turquoise one that Anna brought, too. I was so tempted to swipe it, afterwards... ;)

Also on each table, there were two sets of Scrabble pieces, and the table members had to work together to spell as many wedding-related words as possible. Kari then chose the word board she liked best, in the end. It was such a cute/fun idea that I can take no credit for. MaryAnn, another friend, added that touch.

The meal was a "light lunch" and all of the beautiful (and delicious!) food was prepared by the groom's super talented sister Anna and their mom, Liz.

Along the walls we strung wedding/couple shots from parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles of both Kari & Peter, and a few shots of them, as well. There were so many great options to choose from! I love how cool vintage wedding photos are, and how that coolness multiplies even more when they're actual family photos.

We also had some tulips sitting on a table near where Kari would open gifts because her dad has nicknamed her Tulip for a long time, and it's SO fun to be able to work in meaning like that. (Gail was brilliant with that one!)

It was such a fun time, and I loved seeing Kari encouraged, blessed and supported as she heads into this most exciting and incredible phase of life.

(And I also love this shot of Kari's grandma, and Peter's grandma, apparently sharing comments while Kari opened gifts :)

So, there you have it! I'm so happy that I got to help with it, and I'm beyond excited for Peter & Kari's wedding on April 23rd!

It's such a blessing to have friends here in Richmond, and I'm so happy that Gail and Anna are both new ones, now, thanks to collaborating together last month. :) Hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of the lovely afternoon!

Personal | On Being 25

2011-04-11T19:44:00.004-04:00

Well, another year has officially come and gone, and as of Friday, April 8th, I am now officially older. As in...25 years, altogether. Quarter of a century. 75 years from being 100....etc.

This is certainly one of life's milestone ages, and a pretty happy one at that. I'm not thinking about the fact that I'm only 5 years away from being 30, or that I'm "getting old". On the contrary, I feel like more of a legitimate adult and pretty much in the prime of life. Though it's still weird to look at the number and mentally connect it to how old I am. But, that's normal. I still feel 16, inwardly, and not old enough to be married, owning my own business...let alone even thinking about being a PARENT in the next couple of years. Time goes by quickly, and it's crazy to see how far I've come and to even TRY to understand how I've gotten to where I am today. But that's what's awesome about living one day at a time - it eventually all adds up to this crazy cool journey that you may not be able to track on a daily basis, but when looking back over a year or several years, you see the incredible path that God was paving for you, one step at a time. And how living it out really DOES take you places, in the long run.

I can't wait to see where the next 5...10...and 25+ years will take me! But before I get too far ahead of myself with all that, let me tell you about the perfectly wonderful ways I was able to celebrate turning 25 this past weekend.

I'm a girl who gets the most pleasure in life out of small, thoughtful gestures. Things that show me I was on your mind while you were planning your surprise, or thoughtfully writing a note, or intently hand-crafting a random silly item because we once talked and laughed about it. Sure, I love getting gifts, but not as much as quality time with a loved one or a sentimental note from a friend. And my darling husband knows me so perfectly that he couldn't have blessed me more wonderfully or made me feel more special and blessed on my birthday.

The day began with Aaron getting up early to "go to the gym" - which he HAS done a time or two, though generally he goes in the evenings - so I said goodbye half-asleep and rolled back over to continue enjoying my slumber. About an hour later (when he would normally be waking up) I heard the bedroom door open again and in my still half-asleep state I rolled over and saw him walking towards me with a vase of beautiful white, yellow and purple Springy flowers. I instantly woke all the way up and was trying to recover from the sweet surprise when he asked me what kind of tea he could make me, what kind of bagel I'd like and that he'd momentarily return with breakfast in bed for me. I sat there stunned and giddy, and knew that even if nothing else wonderful happened the entire day, that my birthday was made perfect by those sweet surprises. (He proceeded to sit and eat breakfast with me for a while until he had to head to work - which was the best I could have asked for. Surprises + quality time = major win in my book. :)

My beeeautiful flowers:

My rather delicious breakfast (that also was lunch, because I couldn't eat it all in one sitting)

The rest of my morning was spent being wonderfully bombarded with phone call after phone call from my family members and in-laws. It was so lovely to hear all of their voices and know I was being thought of. And for good measure I painted my nails a favorite color that afternoon before I went and got my free Starbucks drink, bought a few soon-to-be-crafted items from Michael's and some plates from Pier One to add to my wall/plate collection (which you'll see in a soon-to-come post!). On top of those fun things, I couldn't help but notice and appreciate how I got an amazing parking spot every place that I went AND how traffic magically cleared up each time I was at a long or tricky intersection. It's like God chose to give me a few extra little blessings that only added to making my day beautiful in all ways.

In addition to the perfect day, my husband ALSO pulled together a little surprise party for me Saturday evening! It included that much more happiness, fellowship, favorite food & drinks and laughter. What more could I ask for? I have a husband, family and friends I truly don't deserve, but am blessed by continually!

Thank you to EVERYONE who added something - whether in person, on the phone, via text, Facebook or Twitter - to my special day. You were each treasured as I pondered how I could possibly be as blessed as I am. :)

Here's to being 25! (This is what it looks like on me... ;)

Goals | April

2011-04-06T11:12:00.007-04:00

Well, now that we're nearly a week into April, I figured it's about time I get my post up about this month's goals, as well as updating about March. Don't you think? Though, perhaps part of the delay has been that my mind is a little distracted this week with the happiness of today marking 5 months of marriage to my incredible husband and just 2 days from me turning 25! Where has all the time gone, people?! It's just crazy. But in a wonderful way. :)

At any rate, back to the subject of goals! While I doubt that any of you have been waiting with baited breath to see how successful I was in March, I hope you'll at least find it encouraging/interesting to see how someone else does when it comes to setting goals and attempting to achieve them. I'm no superwoman, and thus you won't see this list entirely checked off, but I definitely found that it helped keep me driven and focused last month to know that I had specific things I was aiming to accomplish on a specific timeline. So, here are the results! Accomplished things are written in bold, and unaccomplished things in plain text.

MARCH PERSONAL GOALS

Workout 4 times a week (the only exception was the week of vacation in FL, but I don't think that should count)
Research "couponing" and try to come up with a system that will work for me (still working out the system, but I've at least begun to make a habit of finding and using them!)
Hang the bulletin board I recently made & decorate with photos (see photo below! :)
Make at least 4 meals without the input/help of my husband
Have "girl time" with different friends at least 4 times
Order my wedding album
Finish writing all wedding Thank-Yous (Not quite finished, but only like 6 left to go!)
Mail Thank-Yous (Mailed all that we had done, so again, only like 6 left to go!)
Catch up on editing & posting personal photos (Didn't get all the way caught up, but did make some progress!)
Get a tan while chilling on the beach in FLORIDA with my sister and cousin :)

MARCH BUSINESS GOALS

Sort receipts from January & February
Blog at least 2 times a week (yes, aiming low...hopefully I'll get faithful with at least THAT and then move onward and upward) I don't think I quite made this...especially because of vacation. But I came close!
Sort at least 3 weddings and pick favorite photos
Submit at least 3 weddings to be featured on wedding blogs
Finish picking photos for my sample wedding album
Order sample wedding album
Research workshop/conference opportunities coming up this year (I even attended one!)

So, all things considered, I think March was a pretty successful month and I'm really happy looking at the list and seeing how much I got done, and how close I came even on the things I didn't quite get done. For those of you who decided to set monthly goals for yourselves, how did you do? Did you feel like it helped you stay focused and ultimately accomplish more? I'd love to hear some of your experiences! :)

As for the bulletin board, here are some photos! (I started by purchasing a large framed photo from Goodwill, did away with the glass, painted the frame with one coat of white craft paint - I wanted it to have an uneven, white-washed kind of look - then bought square cork pieces from Michael's, the fabric from Joanne Fabrics and the string and tacks from Walmart.)

It hangs in our bedroom right above my little (not-so-tidy) computer desk.

All of the photos just make me sooo happy. And I chose a lot of ones that probably won't be in the wedding album, because I still loved them and wanted to find some place for them to be displayed. (Rebekah Murray's incredible photography skills make it hard to narrow down one's wedding photos!)

The smaller polaroids were taken at the wedding, too, by one of my dearest friends, Maria (who was also a bridesmaid! She's skilled at multi-tasking. :) They're such a fun addition to the memories of that day, and to the bulletin board.

And, by the way, this is a quick photo of the throw pillows on our bed, which was why I went with the fabric that I did as the background for the bulletin board. It coordinates so perfectly! I really love the grey, white and turquoise color scheme. It's light, fresh, pretty and happy without being overly feminine.

And now, for April goals!

PERSONAL GOALS

Continue working out at least 4 times a week
Brainstorm and accomplish 1 for-the-home art project
Make at least 5 meals without Aaron's input (yeah, that's right - a whole one more than last month! ;)
Have girl time with at least 4 different friends in person
Call or hand-write at least 2 far-away girlfriends
REALLY Finish writing Thank-You's
Mail the last Thank-You's
Order Wedding Album
Finish catching-up on personal photo editing & uploading
Organize iTunes & all Music folders on computers
Help my Mom pick out frames & wedding photos to print when I'm in IN at the end of the month! :)

BUSINESS GOALS

Get all receipts from March in order
Blog at least 2 times a week (trying this again!)
Finish researching Business Insurance options & decide on a company/policy
Organize all 2010 pictures on all computers/hard drives
Finish researching and choose a company for online backup & off-site storage
Research new laptops
Research new desktop monitors
Make a list of prioritized purchases

And there you have it! I'm already a week into this month, so it's a good thing I had been thinking about what I wanted to put on my lists and have been working towards them, already. Here's hoping for another purposeful, focused, successful month for accomplishing both personal and business goals and enjoying life while I'm at it. :) Happy April, everyone!