happy birthday josh :: greensboro event photographer

For those of you who don't know my husband, let me let you in on a little secret. Josh is a technology nerd. And an information junkie. And an Apple fanboy. Want to know the latest specs on the new iPhone? He can tell you. Looking for a surround sound system? He'll give you A+ recommendations on which ones are the best. He spent months researching which television we were going to buy for our house. And he was talking about the new iPad 3 prior to its release for what seemed to me like an eternity.

Each evening, for no fewer than 6 weeks, he updated me on the new features that the latest version of the iPad would possess. And how badly he needed it. And how sad he was that I wouldn't tell him it was okay to buy it because we already had one and it wasn't a necessity right now. And how utterly distraught he was that I told him he was absolutely NOT getting it as a birthday present.

So, of course, I ordered it for him the day it was announced with every intention of, once it arrived, stashing it in the deepest, darkest corner of my closet until today, when we would celebrate his 28th birthday and I would be proclaimed the best wife to ever walk the face of the earth.

And for those of you who know me, I hate ruining a surprise. My grandmother, who I know as Mamaw, is the type of woman who'll read the last chapter of a book first to see if she wants to read the rest of it, and she always loved to have me open Christmas gifts in early December when most people haven't even begun their shopping. And what kind of kid doesn't love getting to open her gifts early? This one. I've always wanted to prolong the surprise and joy that I knew would ensue until the latest possible moment.

Until a month ago, when that Apple package arrived in the mail, and I knew I had to make a decision on which would be the greater surprise for Josh... giving the iPad to him immediately and allowing him the joy of having it at the same time as all of the other Apple addicts or waiting until his birthday and listening to him continue to talk about it for a full month?

After getting some bad advice from one of Josh's friends who shall remain nameless who told me I should wait until his birthday to present him with the iPad, I called my mom, who like me, also doesn't care for early gifts and ruined surprises. I asked her what she thought I should do, and her answer was simply,

"You never know what tomorrow brings."

She then proceeded to tell me that my giving the iPad to him early was also like a gift to myself as I wouldn't have to endure another month listening to Josh's first world problem of why it was so important for him to have the device he so coveted, which really sold me on the idea.

So like any good wife, I stashed the wrapped iPad in the diswasher and waited for him to get home. As soon as he walked through the door, he began trying to convince me why he should get the new iPad, and I promptly yelled at him to go load the diswasher.

Some surprises are just too good to wait :)

Happy birthday to an amazing, loving, supportive husband and my very best friend!

weekend getaway and a happy birthday to lily :: virginia lifestyle photographer

This past weekend, Josh and I headed up to Maryland to stay with our friends Steph and Andy and their sweet little girl Lily and do some sightseeing in Washington D.C. I don't know how a child growing up on the Eastern side of the country ends up in her mid-20s without ever going to our nation's capital, since most people I know had taken some sort of school trip there by the age of 13, but I didn't. Read: I was probably way more excited about this trip than normal people would be.

Unfortunately, I only toted my digital camera around with me on our first day there, so that's the only day's events you get to see today. More photos from the rest of the weekend to come once I get my film developed. 

On Friday, we went to the National Harbor and took a ferry over to Old Town Alexandria, which is such a great little town full of cute boutiques and lots of history.

And, of course, I couldn't leave without getting a few shots of sweet little Lily. She and I are now BFFs, and today is her first birthday!!!

Is she not the cutest thing you've ever seen?!?!

Steph, Andy + Lily - Thank you so much for inviting us to stay with you!! We had such a GREAT time, and you guys are seriously the best hosts ever! I mean, for real, an easter basket full of candy outside our door on Sunday morning?! I've really got to up my hostessing game :)

Be sure to leave some birthday love for Miss Lily!!

out with the old, in with the new :: greensboro wedding photographer

You know how sometimes, you have those days or weeks or even months that you feel like no matter how hard you work or how much you cross off your to-do list, you're still not accomplishing enough. Your wheels keep turning and you have so many great ideas, but the must-do list just grows longer and longer and longer. It's the epitomy of a funk... it stifles your creativity and kills your confidence. I proudly raise my hand that this was my past two weeks (okay, let's be honest, more like two months... learning to come clean about the struggles is a gradual process, y'all).

But then, this week happened. And it was just the recharge and reassurance I needed to crawl out of that funk and regain the energy to start molding my business into what I dream of for myself. Like last weekend's spring cleaning extravaganza, I needed to go out with the old and in with the new in every aspect of my life.

On Monday, I started step 1 of Southern Weddings editor-in-chief Lara Casey's The Challenge. I came across this blog post I think about a year ago, just quicky scanning over it, and have been putting off actually taking action ever since. But after watching webinar #1 in the Making Brands Happen series, I decided it was high time I started and boy, has it shaped me up in just 4 days. I'm already feeling less stressed, more organized, and on my way to making things happen NOW.

"A year from now you'll wish you had started today"

I hope that all of you reading this now will join me in taking The Challenge. I promise it will change your life.

On Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to hang out with an INCREDIBLE group of local photographers. And in the spirit of keepin' it real, I'm admitting that about an hour before leaving for the meetup at Natty Greene's, I wanted to come up with some lame excuse like "I lost my car keys" or "i'm not feeling to well" or "my dog ate my homework" (... that one still works right?). The fear and intimidation was creeping in making me feel like maybe I woudn't fit in or maybe this type of thing just wasn't for me or maybe everyone else already knows each other and they don't have room for more friends (I know... it's irrational). But being that I did help make arrangements for the gathering, I forced myself to go, and you know what, it was ALOT of FUN. I made some great new friends and am so grateful I didn't choose the safe route and stay home watching Netflix :)

And then, when I thought my week couldn't improve, I got an email that I got from one of my college professors. I received an email from her several days ago requesting information about what I've been doing since I've graduated so that they could share it in a student profile post on the Black School of Business Facebook page. I followed up with her this week, almost embarrassed that I wasn't well on my journey to the top of the corporate ladder or finishing up my Master's like some of my fellow alumni or even like I thought I would be doing by now. I told her that I was following my passion for wedding photography, with my husband and dog in tow, and had begun a successful business. And instead of receiving the expected standard email letting me know that was great and they would be posting it in a few days, she took the time to look at my website, forwarded it on to her daughter, and then replied to me with the most amazingly kind comments from the both of them.

And it's not that I NEED the affirmation, but it sure does feel nice to be reassured by someone other than your Momma that you're not, in fact, just spinning your wheels.

And since every post is better when there's a photo in it, here's one of my sweet Monty...

 

A huge thank you to Lara Casey and the MTH crew, Dr. Pinto, and all of the Greensboro photographers that I met this week! You're all AWESOME!