so many ideas….

the change of seasons has it’s benefits. i think being couped up so much has sparked something in me that wants updates and changes. i have all of these ideas for my home and the loft, and yesterday i actually did something about it. one of my ideas for a new backdrop worked beautifully! you will definitely be seeing it in some upcoming shoots. it’s not original, but it is based on something i’ve loved for a long time, so i do feel some ownership.

my other recent idea was a home decor project. i was so pleased with my DIY plan…..but alas, it did not work out as planned. tom isn’t as keen on home improvement projects as i am, so i was concerned that he would think that i should give it up. but this morning he called me and thinks he has a solution that will work! i’m so thrilled that we are going to figure out a way to make it work. i can’t wait to show you when we get it in place. i am not the most patient when it comes to projects, but i’m trying!

i also came up with an idea for setting up the loft more efficiently. it’s definitely a hodgepodge of furniture right now. as i was looking over some home decor magazines, i came up with a plan that i think will work at the loft….now i just need to save for the pieces i will need to make it happen. i will also need another trip to ikea.

all these ideas and my drive to constantly make things and update has me thinking….there is a fine line between being content with what you have and not just settling for things the way they are. i never want to settle. i find such joy in updating my space, even if it’s just adding a new little shadowbox i’ve made or filling the silver compote with pretty seasonal candy. it’s my bliss. i just need to keep myself in check that i’m not obsessed with it in an unhealthy way, ya know?

my list today is very random…but there is a basic theme : )

*b* list of things to think about:

• the aging process is hopefully learning to live with less regrets. i’ve been thinking about how many regrets i used to have. it’s not that i don’t have any regrets now, it’s just that i have learned a few simple life lessons that i don’t compromise on and it really lessens regrets. i think perspective has a lot to do with it too. plus, taking risks is not as scary, the older i get. i don’t want to live a life of mediocrity…in any aspect.
• “we are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” johann wolfgang von goethe
• i’ve never regretted a single penny i’ve spent on photos or art. i know that is a very biased statement considering that’s my living….but i’ve also never felt anything but joy for my clients who purchase photos of their loved ones. i am confident that they will never regret it either! the way we spend money is comparable to how we spend time, in my opinion. a person who thinks they have no money for one thing, but will spend countless dollars eating fastfood is baffling to me. or a person who says they have no time, but watches everything on t.v., is also baffling to me. we all get warped ideas from time to time on things that are too close and we have no perspective on. and speaking of art, i just found out that my cousin nick’s son cody has this going on: cody brown artwork. so excited for him! here’s a quote i love: “gazing on beautiful things acts on my soul”. michelangelo.
• i need to stay humble. i experienced a sleepless night recently and as i was praying for God to show me what i was so restless about, He revealed something to me about a relationship that i was totally offbase on. i thought i was respecting this loved one’s space, but really i needed to reach out and invest in that person. just when you think you are getting smarter, bam! i realize that i know very little.
• if you could take a year off, what would you do? this question was posed at a recent Bible study i attended and it really caused me to pause. i really don’t want to take a year off, because life is good, but there are some things that i know i want to make more time for. i’m still working on balance and priorities.
• “moderation in everything, even in virtue” dr. suvi. just food for thought. i’ve been pondering this quote for a while now. i read this quote in the context of someone refusing to take a drink of alcohol, even for medicinal purposes. sometimes, i think we can get too wrapped up in rules. rules are good and keep us safe, but when the rules are our only focus, we miss out on other important things.
• “we ourselves have both the task and the pleasure of organizing and shaping our lives for the good of the soul.” thomas moore.

i just wanted to give you some food for thought. if we never think about these things and just keep our lives full of activities, i think we limit our happiness and fulfillment.

yesterday, i had the opportunity to photograph haylee in honor of her 3rd birthday. i took her first photos when she was only 24 hours old and have taken many more in her 3 years! since i love, love, love newborns, hope let me watch her from time to time her first 8 weeks. i can’t believe she’s almost 3!

thanks for having me take haylee’s photos hopey!

have a great day everyone and God bless!