friday five :: the best of a new year :: greensboro wedding photographer

I knew the weather was supposed to get bad this afternoon, so I woke up this morning ready to get things done so that I could go to the post office and mail packages to some clients before the wintery mess began. I put on my heavy duty snow boots bought out of necessity when we lived in Erie, PA, threw on my ski jacket, and prepared to beat the snow and ice. Then, as my car warmed up in the garage, I decided to walk down to the mailbox and nearly died a cold, frozen death on my driveway that was now a solid sheet of ice. So much for Friday errands.

Thankfully, the forced time at home inspired me to write this post about some of the fun experiences and opportunities I've had so far this year. So this week's Friday Five is dedicated to just downright good things about January.

1. On Birthdays: I celebrated another birthday just a couple of weeks ago, and while it was super low-key, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Josh had class after work on the actual day, so we spent the whole weekend celebrating. We had dinner out with friends that Friday, Josh made red velvet cupcakes (and he even bought the Sprinkles brand mix... it's the next best thing to the real Sprinkles) on Saturday while I was gone for the day, and he fixed a real gourmet meal on Sunday, plus I got lots of beautiful messages, phone calls, and thoughtful gifts from so many friends and family. The whole day made me incredibly grateful for the people I have in my life these days and the things I've been able to accomplish over the past year, and I'm so excited for what this year holds in store!

2. On Dogs: Toward the end of last week, we got about two inches of snow here in NC, and boy, did Monty go CRAZY! This dog absolutely loves cold weather and everything that goes along with it, and while he usually isn't a big fan of fetching a ball, it was apparently really exciting in the snow. Josh took this video on his phone of our cute little Scottie fetching for about the 300th time that morning (please ignore by voice in the background... is that really what I sound like, people?)

3. On Fitness: A couple of weeks ago, in an effort to get healthy and try something new, I started taking a Bikram Yoga class (better known as hot yoga). Let's just say I have a real love/hate relationship with it. I feel like I'm going to legitimately pass out during nearly every class (who wouldn't trying to exercise in a 105 degree room?), but it really does have me feeling great, and I'm already seeing the health benefits of the class. I'm hoping that soon, the love will outweigh the hate.

4. On Books: Finally, after reading it for the longest time, I finished The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I have a bad habit of starting multiple books at once - one fiction, one self-improvement or other non-fiction, and one business - which means that it usually will take me forever to finish any of them. This book was definitely worth the read. While I'm not sure if I'll actually start my own full-fledged project, I've already applied alot of the concepts from the book to bring more joy to my day-to-day life.

5. On Learning: Last Wednesday, I had an amazing opportunity to go to the What's Next Tour in Charlotte put on by Justin and Mary Marantz. I got the chance to meet alot of really wonderful folks, and everything about the workshop was just what I needed to push forward through a bit of a funk and move my life and my business in the right direction. One of my favorite takeaways from the event was this: "Stop thinking of your dreams as opportunities, but instead as obligations". That one really hit home for me ... no more excuses!

 

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What have been some of the highlights of 2013 for you so far?

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the return of the friday five :: greensboro wedding photographer

It's been a long, long time since I've written a Friday Five, and this week's is dedicated to things I'm grateful for this week. Despite the craziness of this past several days, it's definitely had it's high points, and here are just a few:

1. Going see the band FUN. in concert with my hubby last Thursday at Disco Rodeo. If you haven't heard this band, you must be living under a rock and you should watch the video below. Their music is the kind that just makes you want to roll the windows down and sing along at the top of your lungs. You can tell that they put their heart and soul into their music and their shows, and I just love that quality in people. This song is one of my favorites:

2. Lunch with great friends. I am so blessed to be surrounded by a whole bunch of pretty awesome people and made a point this past week to have lunch with a few of them. I caught up with my friend Marissa, a fellow photographer who I've had the opportunity to work with and get to know a little better over the past few months, and while I'm sad that she's moving to DC, I'm excited to see what great things happen for her! Today, I had the chance to have an weekday lunch with my dear friend Bridget, who's always a breath of fresh air. Our conversations tend to be a little A.D.D, but I like to think that it's a gift to be able to cover so many topics in such a short amount of time :)

3. Bubble baths. One of my favorite features of our new home is the jacuzzi tub, and there isn't much better than relaxing in that thing with a glass of wine, a good book, and my favorite sugar cookie scented Yankee Candle. Funny story actually... I never knew exactly why you weren't supposed to use bubble bath in the jacuzzi until last night when I turned on the tub and bubbles began to overtake my bathroom...

4. Client love. I've been delivering some albums this week and love hearing from our super amazing 2012 clients how thankful they are to have worked with us. There's nothing more satisfying as a photographer and business owner than to hear from a bride that you're worth every penny and more, and that their wedding day was actually one of the most stress-free, relaxing days of their life thanks in part to you.

5. Getting Christmas shopping done early (for once). I am happy to report that all of my shopping AND gift wrapping is officially DONE. Like, completely. Now, I can devote the rest of my holiday season to viewing Elf way too many times and enjoying my Starbucks peppermint white mocha while pleasantly watching all of the crazy people at the mall trying to get their last minute shopping done. (Sorry last-minute shoppers for my smug people-watching!)

What are YOU grateful for this week?

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