This year has been a great year for analyzing and strategizing the future of my business. I have family, friends, couples, and wedding guests all asking me what I’m going to do since there’s talk about going down to Florida at some point. I cannot really predict what the future has in store, but I can try to be smart about my current plans to continue success! ๐ So with the launch of my BRAND NEW WEBSITE next weeeeeek (Friday, September 28th!!), Sam from Refresh Design and I have been working hard to curate a beautiful portfolio while sharing the opportunity of doing business between two different states, and beyond! While I’ve been reflecting on how I run my business, I was thinking about my blog posts and particularly, the series, “Weekend Recaps.” I asked myself, “why do I blog about personal life every Monday?” It’s my personal voice, a weekly journal, an opportunity for couples and potential clients to connect with who I am when I’m not photographing, a chance to see what my lifestyle is like, business and personal-wise. I won’t change the series, and I love the concepts of the “Dopes and Nopes” so you do not only see the good, but also the not-so-great-things that happened the past week. It’s important to share my open-book heart!
I was reading a book called, “For the Love” by Jen Hatmakerย (SO good and hilarious, by the way!!) and this part of the book stuck with me!
“Be the kind of friend you are hoping for. Trust me, no one wants a perfect friendย who can’t offer a minute of transparency. We can get that on Pinterest. Our soul aches for real people in real homes with real kids (or fur babies, right?) and real lives. We may carefully curate online identities with well-chosen pictures and selective information, but doing so leaves us starving for something true … Don’t fear your humanity; it is your best offering.”
YES. AMEN. It is SO easy for us to curate our online identities to make people believe and perceive that our lives are picture-perfect when in reality, it’s not. What’s actually picture-perfect are the imperfect and messy situations because they are relatable! ๐
To quickly conclude this part of the blog so I don’t get too carried away (although, I feel very passionate about talking more about it) … I’m changing the series name to “Coffee Talk Mondays” because yes, Mondays need a lot of coffee and I want to keep it real and personable as if we are catching up in a coffee shop! ๐ I’m going to tie in the “Dopes and Nopes” because I love the idea of it, but I’m customizing the subtitles to “Mocha and Espresso” for a little creative touch. I look forward to many coffee dates with you all!! Let’s plan to meet every Monday around this time for our coffee talk. ๐
Coffee Talk
MOCHA MOMENTS
the sweeter memories from this past week
1
One of my best friends had her baby!!!!
I’m a proud “Auntie Stephy!” <3 <3 <3 And gosh, Bethany and Justin are SO happy!!!! I surprised them with a little photo shoot to remember this exciting time. ๐
2
Grateful for friends
Despite the craziness of wedding season, I’ve managed to squeeze in some quality friend time this past week. I’m grateful for them and their little ones! And aren’t these guys the cutest?! Can I be a kid again so I can sprawl across furniture and get away with it? Haha!
3
New discovered favorites
This is exciting!!! I found my love for fall AND chapstick all in one! Way to go, Burts Bees, for always satisfying my love for your products. <3 ALSO, Stella Rosa is one of my favoriteeeee wine brands! I just ran across this travel-sized pack. ๐ My month before wedding gifts just got a little more personal! YES.
4
Deja Brew + Monterey Church
My favorite Sunday activities!!! I managed to squeeze in an hour of work (yay for getting ahead of my schedule before the work week began!) before meeting up with a friend for coffee. If you’re interested in checking out the church I attend in Warrenton, VA, be my guest on September 30th and check out their website HERE! ๐ Great community, worship, and messages!
ESPRESSO MOMENTS
the bitter memories from this past week
1
Rain, rain, go away!
Do I need to say more? Ollie wants the outdoor life again!!! Although, I am SO glad we didn’t have the initially projected hurricane this past weekend!!!! But I’m praying for those down south who weren’t able to dodge it… ๐
2
14 more weeks
When you realize you have only been through 4 weeks of not seeing your hunnyย and still have 14 more weeks to go… Please, time, fly by faster!!! I guess this is good practice for future deployments?
What to expect on the blog this week
Matt & Christina | Airlie Gardens, Virginia Wedding
Nathan & Mandi | A Warrenton, Virginia Farm Wedding
Happy Monday!!!! Time to refill my coffee.
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