Hi!  

I have been totally swamped in motherhood over the past 10 days.  Bodie, who is not an easy toddler in general, got a cold early last week, that turned into a secondary infection last weekend.  He ended up on antibiotics.  My husband and I got the same bug, and went on antibiotics as well.  It's the first time I've had to take them in years!  

Being sick, and being a mom quite frankly sucks.

Being sick, and being a mom to a sick kid sucks even more.

Being sick, being a mom to a sick kid, and a wife to a sick husband is the worst!

Hey friends!  Happy Friday!

I am so excited to share that my photo (and Ellie the Bug) is on the cover of the latest issue of The 30A Life!  You can see the issue here online or pick up a copy around the 30A area.  I've been wanting to share this with you all since I first saw the cover a few days ago.  It's really a cool feeling as I watch where my photography takes me... Where will I be this time next year?

The side of my Passion Planner has a box labeled "Good things that have happened."

This little box...

Most weeks I have ignored it.  Left it blank.  Focused on the schedule instead, and whatever is up next.

But this week something shifted.

Earlier this winter, I decided to sell an extra camera body, 4 lenses, and several other accessories.  Since I had first gotten into photography, I had a huge wish list, and the mentality that I needed more and more to be a good photographer.  Obviously my equipment is important, but something had shifted in me as I began to focus on my creativity and expression rather than what gear I had. I realized, a good photographer or artist really only needs the basic tools to create magic.  How could I use what I already had to create an image in mind?  This has put me up in trees and in all sorts of strange places to get a certain shot.  Some of my most like photos were created this way.

Today we talk about... HAIR!

Is it "just hair?" Yes, of course... But hair is also highly connected to our identities (whether you think it should be or not), and I believe that we can strike a balance somewhere between over-attachment and not caring at all.  It is perfectly okay to care about your hair, but know that it is not essential AT ALL for a happy and healthy life.  Having "dream hair" is not going to fix your problems... and no matter how Instagram worthy your hair looks really means, well, not much.  There are really happy people out there who have lost all of their hair, and there are really unhappy people out there who have gorgeous mermaid locks.

What is it like to up and move to the beach?

I get asked this question all of the time.  From an outside perspective, it's sexy and glamorous.  I get that.  You get that.  Blah blah blah. 

But what's it really like?

Hey guys!  

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed a whole bunch of photos with a cute 1969 yellow VW Bug creeping in.  World, meet Ellie, out newest baby.

I first met Ellie last year at a photoshoot for some of my favorite clients, who are now great friends of ours!

Hey guys,

I'm going to start this with the following disclaimer:  I'm not really sure where I'm going with this post, but feel a strong pull to write and share some truth.  Last year I wrote a blog post about financial stress, and received a lot of emails from concerned loved ones (and strangers!) that Ed and I were going under (we weren't).  After that, I haven't really gotten super personal because of the fear that people will take what I have to say the wrong way.  As a society we are so closed off and guarded to admit our struggles.  Most of us have financial stress all of the time, but are embarrassed to admit it for fear of being judged or looking like a failure.  Why are we so scared to share?