Marvelous Mondays | Aimee Bontreger

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

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!)

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 | Return to Me, Pinterest & Starbucks Happy Hour

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

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?

Personal | Teapots, Flowers, & Happy Bridal Showers

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

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

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!

Weddings | The Dilemma of Indecision

I'm quite possibly in the world's top percentage of indecisive people. Making swift decisions has always been tough for me, and the narrowing-down process can be brutal, stressful, and time consuming. At least when it comes to artistic endeavors that will result in a finalized finished product that will be archived for years and years to come. Like, for instance, scrapbooks. I love scrapbooking and used to spend a good deal of time putting together creative, artistic, sentimental scrapbooks, especially for 4-H (for which I took home the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion titles several times). Yes, I know, it was just 4-H. But that was often the highlight of my summer and winning at something that I put painstaking time, effort and stressful decision-making into was rather gratifying. My dad still jokes about the many hours that I would just sit at the kitchen table with my scrapbook stuff strewn about, a mock layout all set-up....and just stare at it all, trying to decide if I liked it enough to start permanently sticking things to the page. Permanently, people! Talk about pressure! Once those photos were cropped and matted, there was no going back...

Well, oddly enough I've found myself in that same sort of situation as I've been trying to narrow down the photos to put together for a Studio Sample wedding album to show to clients. My wonderful friend and album designer, Janet, has been ever sooo patient (and even good-naturedly encouraging) through this drawn-out process, but even so, it's crunch time. I need to just pick some and know that, in the end, there's no right or wrong. And all of the photos that I can't fit into the album can always be put on my much-needed-to-be-updated website. So what's the big deal, right? It's just all of this self-made pressure that tells me I have to pick the perfect photos...the best of the best...or this sample album won't be all that it can be. But, you know what? When you work with as many good-looking couples as I do, I think I've decided that you just can't go wrong. So, I just thought I'd share a few of my favorite photos...that I've been staring at over and over for the past week...as I hit the final stage of making these tough decisions. And to my dear brides and grooms...thanks for being gorgeous enough to make this process so tough for me. You're all fabulous. :)

So! Wish me luck as I make my final decisions between all of these and even more favorites... :P