If you weren't ready, now you can be! The Kindle and Nook are reduced!

Summer time is HERE. Hello June 21 and summer solstice. Thank you for the longest day of the year and an excuse to 'waste' time reading...bc really, what are you going to do with all of that extra daylight? Thankfully, our tech-world has got some pretty cool things to help us get through our summer reading lists... i.g. the Kindle, Nook, and iPad.

I got SO excited today when I read this story about the new price reductions on the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook. I have debated getting one of these simply because they are pretty pricey, and I would rather use Amazon to buy my $0.99 used copies of Pride and Prejudice. However, seeing these new numbers is tempting me toward one of these now faster than ever. I know friends who love them, because of the books, but also for the magazines, journals, and newspapers you can put on them.

Check them out, what are your opinions? I'm (read)y.

Coffee and Smart Water...

Do you ever start certain habits kind of blindly? I love Smart Water.  Which is kind of a big deal if you knew me and knew how much I DON'T drink water. No offense to H2O but it doesn't taste that great to me, and I would rather drink something that has a flavor and gives me some blood-flow (cough cough::coffee::). However, Smart Water may have won me over because I've now started this unconcious habit of downing about 4 bottles a day.

This is probably due to the genius advertising on their part by putting Jennifer Aniston as their spokes model... bc let's face it, who wouldn't want to drink something that maybe-might-possibly-bysomechance-kindof make you look like her? I want to be her friend.

So I'm a little healthier today (and for the past few weeks) because of my new obsession with Smart Water. Their spokes model and super-fun squeeze-bottles have won me over. I haven't completely replaced my coffee, nor will I EVER, but I'm pretty close to reducing it's domination over my blood stream. I think I'm putting the 'smart' in my Smart Water.

What are you thankful for?

Today is Friday and I think that can leave us all thankful for at least something. We can be thankful that Saturday isn't technically seen as a work-day, therefore we can slack-off or take-off at will. Or, if you usually work on Saturday's, like me (woo hoo wedding photographer), you can be thankful that you have something to do tomorrow that gives you a paycheck. Holler if you like getting paid!

This morning I made it a priority to sit down and write out the things I was thankful for. You may be thinking that my list was sophisticated and sentimental, and at parts it was...but I definitely wrote that I was thankful for coffee and the couch I was sitting on (because, let's face it... those are some things that hold us up when the going gets tough!). And that list (even the less-than-sopisticated-things) has allowed me to start out the day pretty darn cheerfully.

So make your list.

Now,

5 things...

Go.

The Hendersons | Destin Beach Family Photography

Today I'm blogging the images of one of my favorite families in the wide world. These are the Henderson's and they live up the street from me. I babysit for them a couple of days a week and you probably remember seeing their two girls in some past posts here and here. These kids are some of the most joy-filled and curious kids I know... and they have amazing parents that encourage them and love them through everything. They roll 6-deep over there, but no one's left out.

In May I was able to travel with them to San Destin, FL and help out with the kids. While we were down there the mom, Lacy, wanted me to capture some images of them all together at the beach (especially since it was their youngest, Breezy's, first time ever!!). She did some 'research' at the outlet malls earlier that day and got some great outfits for everyone. I love the way the yellow pops!

Thanks Lacy for being awesome and for having such a cute fam!

Woot woot Hump Day!

Things I wish I knew

There are a lot of things I wish I knew... and most of them are things that I wish I knew in the past, I could care less about the future! I just wish I knew that the answer wasn't always 'C' on a multiple choice test, or that the high-school boys I had crushed on would eventually turn out looking like Yoda dressed in J.Crew.

Those are small things, but right now I'm approaching my 1st year in business (or shooting weddings... my 'business' anniversary isn't until december) and I'm looking back and thinking 'Wow, I wish I'd known THAT'

One thing that I wish I'd known: For everything that you don't know how to do, or don't want to do, there is someone who can and wants to. 

In one word: outsourcing. I'm not a big fan of graphic design. I LOVE it, I'm just not that great at it. However, I had no idea the resources that are out there to help people like me who need a basic graphic, like...oh, a logo (not that basic, really...kind of a big deal).

I stumbled on LogoSauce last week and I was kicking myself for the amazing service it offers. If you're in need of a logo, or some graphics help...please check them out. I'm drumming up my own 'challenge' right now.

I wish I'd done it sooner, but add it to the list of things I wish I'd known.

Guess who's back...back again..

Yes I'm channeling my inner Slim-Shady with this blog post title. That's cool...right? Brings me back (back again...alright I'll stop)

anyways. this past month was a whirlwind of sorts. I apologize to my faithful readers bc I honestly was just too tired to lay it all out everyday! I didn't manage my time well at all, and my day-planner sat in the same place in the back of my car everyday (NOT a good sign). Today I blew the dust off of it and decided it was time to put  a little mojo back into my weeks... So I'm re-committing myself to discipline. Hi-Ya!

With all of that out of the way... I wanted to share with you some images that make me smile! I played around with a Tilt-Shift lens this weekend (yes that's a wikipedia link, don't hate) and had a BLAST. I even did some wedding images with it! I really liked it and can't wait to rent one again and explore some more. The price of that baby is going to have me renting for a while, but I would love to see if it's something to add to my permanent collection!