JESSICA LEE | THE BLOG

Now that March is over and I’m looking at the middle of April.. April.. WOW.. how did that happen?! I, again, slipped into busy. It’s so easy to do. The new year and the promise of a fresh start, then life happens. Can I get an AMEN?! mom.. wife.. part time job.. business owner.. starting a new business.. did I mention being a mom? ha!

 

I took a step back – busy. unorganized. depressed. melt downs. frustration. unaccomplished. burn out. lack of motivation. – not what I expected as I stepped into 2013.

 

At the beginning of the year, I completed Lara Casey‘s Challenge (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). I finally had some clarity – I felt refreshed, motivated and ready to take on 2013 – then never looked back. Because I had no real way of using the information I uncovered, I easily got distracted by life – client projects, a part time job, adoption (more on that later), a teething baby, a budding interest in having baby #2, a new direction in business, and the list goes on. Who here can relate? I’m an impulsive person, lead by my emotions (an area I want to focus on for 2013), and can easily be distracted when I’m not focused. When Lara released the Making Things Happen Powersheet set, I quickly ordered my copy! (check out her new shop here!)

 

 

 

When I received my copy, I was past burnt out and just plain angry. Angry with a life that was robbing me of what matters most. Working through the powersheets – a clearly designed process that sings to my inner type A personality, on paper so lovely that I want to screech in a high-pitched voice – I reconnected with that clarity again.

 

Here’s what I came up:

 

GOAL 1: Healthy Lifestyle

I want to learn more about a Paleo lifestyle. I want to learn how I can integrate it into our lives in a cost effective manner.

I want to raise Ezra in a healthy home where food is fuel, used to grow strong – to support his body and brain development.

I want Shelvie and I to live a long, healthy life together. One that is strong and active so we can enjoy making life memories, together and with our family.

Find a regimen that I love and one that is not work – be disciplined and motivated.

Support Shelvie and encourage him to become more fit.

 

GOAL 2: Food For Fuel

I want to learn more about eating clean. Get rid of the junk and replace it with fresh, healthy food.

I want to support local growers/ small businesses.

I want to teach Ezra to make smart food choices through my daily decisions.

I want to find nutritious foods, full of flavor, so Shelvie will make better food choices.

I want to support my family – develop healthy, functioning bodies, clear of disease and ailments.

 

GOAL 3: Faith

I want to be in God’s word so my faith and trust in Him will be deeper and unshakable. I want to be changed. To be guided to those things in me that needs attention. I want to learn more of God’s love and confidently be guided by him to change. I want to be sifted.

I want to know God’s love for me so that I stop competing and comparing myself to others.

I want to shed the distractions so I can boldly live the life he has for me.

I want to be led less by impulse and emotions and be fully focused on the steps God has already numbered for me. I want to focus on his plan for my life and lean on Him for direction, guidance and understanding. I want to fully give my life over to His will.

I want to use photography to be God’s voice and document missions – so that organizations may use those images for marketing and education. To be used as a connection between people and the truth.

 

GOAL 4: Marriage

I want to be guided by God, to have discernment and concentrate on the areas of my marriage that need my attention.

I want God to always be at the center of my marriage so He can show us how to have a true heart connection, one free of expectations, walls or anything that might divide us.

I want a long and healthy marriage so we might be an example for Ezra – for all our children – show them the true covenant of marriage. Provide a home that is full of love and joy so they can flourish in it.

 

GOAL 5: Balance and Structure

I want to learn how to be more efficient with my time. Cut out any distractions that prevent me from being my best self.

I want to learn how to shut work off and create boundaries so I can fully focus on family and my time with God.

I want to manage my time effectively and simplify so I can incorporate healthy meals (meal plan), play time (Ezra’s development) and grow time with Shelvie (bonding).

Create systems to help me manage my many hats – seek resources.

I want to decide on and cut the dead weight, the things that suck my time, energy and resources.

I want to learn to live with less – the things I do have are used with intention, are effective and produce good results.

 

GOAL 6: Friends

I want to surround myself with friends that will love and support me, who will pray for me even when I don’t know it.

I want to be surrounded by God-centered women, who will mentor me in life and marriage.

I want to find and belong to a small group or bible study.

I want a deeper connection with my small core group of friends and do more for others together. I want to be more prayerful for my friends, lift them up and do more things to make them feel special.

I want accountability.

 

GOAL 7: Design

I want to put procedures and guidelines into place that helps me automate more things in business and allows for more flexibility.

Create an effective workflow, one that works and allows more freedom from stress and worry.

I want to become more strategic in my designs so I spend less time exploring.

I want to be a better listener and communicator so I can to the heart of every project.

I want to learn how to do my job in a more clear, direct and more efficient way so I can work less and live more.

Be more strategic in my business – one that allows for profitability and finding my ideal client.

I want to bring prayer into my business – pray before making any business decisions or client designs.

 

GOAL 8: Being a Mom

Learn how to be a better mom and take the guesswork out of it. Read more, reach out, and seek advice and friendships, mentors, groups.

Help Ezra develop into a strong and smart man, one with respect and empathy. Pray for him often – to be strong and confident, but never arrogant. To have a drive so fierce that nothing stands in his way. That he is disciplined and determined and never rude, but will carry others when they fall short. No matter what career he decides to have in life, he does it to the best of his ability and with pride, respect for himself and others. He challenges himself to be great, never perfect, and never ever live by others expectations or opinions. That with anything in life, he will always turn to God first and me and Shelvie second.

Prepare more for our adoption – pray, read, and seek. Try hard to not be discouraged with the setbacks and disappointments. Know that God is in control and in His perfect timing this will come to fruition.

Pray for my son everyday. That he be healthy and free from sickness and disease. Pray that he be happy with us, his forever family. That we meet all his needs for love, and not be angry or resentful.

That he becomes a man of God, a true warrior in his faith and beliefs.

That he never comes under persecution or judgment for his skin color or birth origin. That people accept him with us and never turn a sideways glance. That he be strong and confident if they do, with respect and a willingness to show love and mercy.

 

GOAL 9: Photography

Develop a business that is built on stone vs sand – take the steps necessary to build a strong foundation. Seek wisdom and guidance always. Create an effective workflow, one that will allow profitability and flexibility in life – focus and move toward being a well-oiled machine.

Cut the things that aren’t working.

Make decisions.

Don’t be afraid to fall hard and fail big.

Study, invest, practice, research and commit to the craft. Always learn new things. Focus on one thing at a time.

Create a memorable experience. Inspire engaged couples to cultivate a lasting, lifetime commitment. With intention, nurture that connection through action. Support the newly engaged couple, helping to build a sustainable marriage.

Be a fun place to work where people are educated, inspired, challenged and have a personal investment.

Find clients, who value photography, enjoy the creative process, want to participate and are willing to spend money on the things they value.

Grow a winning network as an extension of the business – one that invests, helps me grow and establishes value.

Create a portfolio of artwork that highlights moments meaningful to the client and supports my brand message.

 

 

 

 

I realize this is a process and will change along the way. I’m so excited I now have an anchor, rooted to my core, to bring me back when I loose focus.

 

–

 

If you are interested in a process to help you reveal what’s at your core, start here! and let me know in the comments below so I can pray for you and your journey.

He met her for the first time, a brief encounter when he bought a car from a friend, her then boyfriend. He vowed to never to look at a friend’s girl but something sparked in his heart that day. Not remembering that first encounter, she met him when they worked at the local Jiffy Lube — with said boyfriend. That was ten years ago.

 

During the summer of 2010, Orion reconnected with Heather through Facebook. A simple ‘hi’, led to many conversations late into the night, led to her taking an impromptu road trip across the country to visit him in Texas. The rest, is history.

 

The first time I met Heather I tried to steal her boots — like literally right off her feet (no really, I asked to try them on!). Needless to say, we became fast friends. It has been an honor to be a part of their relationship, watching it evolve and grow in love, then documenting that love at their wedding.

 

 

Isn’t this dress to dye for! It was her something borrowed – from Terese Smerklo, a coworker.

 

 

It all started to sink in when her mom placed the necklace around her neck – in a few short hours, she was to be married to her best friend, a true man of God, one who has never withheld an ounce of affection from her.

 

 

Heather, you are gorgeous.. really!

A special thanks to both her sisters for hair and makeup perfection. (Marisa Strazza, her youngest sister, works at Serenity Salon & Spa in Bloomfield and does amazing hair. Joy Strazza works in advertising, but is a natural when doing makeup.)

 

 

Orion, look at you, all dapper!

 

 

It snowed the day before and rained that morning, but the light coming in from the floor to ceiling windows at Rockaway Assembly of God was just breathtaking.

 

 

I don’t know what he whispered to her, but she giggled like a school girl with a crazy crush!

 

 

Traditional by nature, he was not originally on board for the first look (when a bride and groom decide to see each other before the ceremony). He later told me it was the best decision Heather could have pushed him into. It settled his nerves, allowing him to appreciate and take in each and every moment – truly captured by this expression.

 

 

It is said, “that is is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes an unhappy marriage”. You are my best friend. My very best friend, and while our love is already great, it will continue to grow into a bond that is far too strong to break. There was a time when a gentleman was judged on whether or not he was a man of his word. I will keep mine. I give my word, and commit myself to being the man God has intended me to be for you. I promise to love, respect, and care for you the rest of my days. To honor, provide, and serve you. To protect you. To be your shelter and warmth when it storms, and wherever God takes us. I vow to be your Godly, gentleman of honor, and integrity. I know life may not be as perfect as it is today, but I vow to always keep my love as pure as it is today. Heather Strazza, you are my precious one, my only one. You live within my heart and lie within my arms. I will always cherish you. Not just for what you do for me, or how you make me feel, but because of who you are. Your value to God as a child born in his image. I know I have been entrusted with the priceless essence of another human soul. So precious, that God himself paid the price to buy you back. And for that I am truly blessed. I am blessed to be able to call the most amazing, beautiful, loving, and radiant women I know, my wife. I love you.

 

Yeah, not a dry eye…

 

 

When people ask me why I’m a wedding photographer, it’s this moment, this one right here. The out-pouring of one’s heart. The vulnerability. The human-heart-connection. It’s the experiences shared between people. I’m truly blessed and honored to be entrusted to capture such moments!

 

 

Heather and Orion.. Thank you for choosing me to be a part of your beautiful day. I am forever changed because of it!

 

To see more images from that day please click here.

 

 

 

As Valentine’s day is just around the corner, I thought I’d post a few gifts on my wish list for 2013.

 

 

1     I already mentioned how much I LOOOOVE this Love Ballad Tunic from ModCloth. Working from home while chasing after a 7-month-old, I barely have time to change out of my pajamas! I love the idea of being able to throw this on with some leggings and feel presentable if I needed to run out for formula or have an impromptu Skype chat with a client.

 

2     This purse from Betsey Johnson is so much fun! Quilted hearts.. big black bow.. gold hardware.. yes please!

 

3     I love the message that comes with this delicate, hand crafted necklace – ‘The most beautiful things in the world are like whispers. They cannot be seen or touched… They must be heard by the heart. Wear your necklace as a reminder to listen.’

 

4    These gold heart earrings are a simple addition to dress up a casual outfit. I love how plump they are!

 

5     Since my home office is a shared space, headphones are essential! These Heart Beats headphones (Lady Gaga for Beats by Dr. Dre) speak directly to my inner punk! Functional + stylish.. a must have!

 

6     Who doesn’t love bokeh? but heart bokeh.. I die! Check out other bokeh-inspired images by NY photographer, Chelsea Victoria, here.

 

7     I’m total team coffee! This mug, with it’s unusual gold heart, would be the go-to choice for my am coffee with God

 

What’s on the top of your wish list this year?

 

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Vanessa Joy of Vanessa Joy Photography for Shutter Magazine. What an honor for my very first interview (I was soo nervous!) because it’s one of the largest on-line photography magazines, geared at raising the bar in the photography industry by providing how-to tips and training for FREE.

 

In the article, Vanessa outlines four easy steps to help a photographer attract the sudden influx of brides during the engagement season. On the last tip, there is a five minute video where we talk through a couple tips on how a photographer can make their website work for them.

 

It was an amazing opportunity to share my insight and I thought I would expand a little more on each point.

 

 

The first topic was what are some things to avoid on the home page to not deter brides away from their website.

 

I briefly discussed not having music or auto-playing a video. The reason being that brides do a majority of their wedding planning while at work. If your site has music or a video playing, it’s a dead give-away. To quickly cover this up, they immediately jump to close the browser. At that point, you’ve lost them and they will probably never return to look through your site. Some other things to keep in mind:

 

1     Not having a clear message (How long does it take to know what your site and/or business is all about?) Is your style (fine art, documentary, fashion-forward, bold, edgy) clearly defined?

 
2     A navigation that doesn’t makes sense – location or naming convention (This should be intuitive. Regardless of how many times you see it, this is the first time a bride is getting married, you can guarantee her finding your most important information by sticking to a convention she will recognize. For instance, she may not know that ‘journal’ means your blog.)

 

3     Visual overload – competing colors, multiple fonts/sizes, etc. (bam!)

 
4     No visual cues (hierchy of information, color cues, or a gallery with no arrows or a scroll bar to name a few) or a call to action (‘click’ here to see more, contact me, find me on..). You want to keep it interactive and lead your bride to the information.

 
5     A disconnect between your imagery and your visual brand message (This will create an immediate distrust with your potential bride that elicits the fight-or-flight response. She wont know exactly what it is but something will feel off and she’ll move on to the next photographer’s website.)

 

6     A slow loading page (‘nough said!)

 

7     Not including your location (Nothing is more disappointing to a bride, who falls in love with your photography, to find out you are six states away.)

 

8     Not showcasing your personality (Your photography is not a commodity so don’t allow it to come down to price alone. Separate yourself from your competition by creating an experience based around your personality – there is only one you and the experience only you can provide can never be replicated.)

 

9     Not creating a hierarchy of information (not everything needs to be up-front and center or big and bold)

 

 

The second topic we discussed are tips to make sure that a photographer’s website is easy to navigate?

 

Here we talked about having a navigation that is intuitive. For one, separating your navigating system. You don’t want to put your FACEBOOK link right next to the ABOUT ME page, that wouldn’t make sense to the bride. Instead, separate it by location in the design. Some other tips to help create a user friendly navigation are:

 

1     Naming convention (Again, use labels that are easy to recognize: About Me.. Meet Jessica.. etc)

 

2     Having your most important information one click deep (You don’t want your brides to have to dig to find the information that is the most important to them.)

 

3     No hidden links (Take the guess work out of what is click-able by using color overlays or changing the font from regular to italic.)

 

 

 

The next thing Vanessa and I discussed was how male photographers, who don’t wish to come off feminine in their websites, can achieve that?

 

I believe that men don’t need to be feminine to appeal to women, some women like a slightly masculine look or an edgy style – think Jerry Ghionis or Sal Cincotta. By deciding who your ideal client is, you can then effectively design for that market – your ideal bride may not want pastels but is attracted to darker, richer colors. If your not sure, your best bet is to keep your site design clean and minimalistic, balance dark colors with softer ones and pick gender neutral patterns and textures. Other effective ways to achieve this:

 

1    Talk to her on her level and what she is surrounding herself with currently (Basically, name drop. Show her you know who Vera Wang or Jimmy Choo are.)

 

2     Provide a video that shows you in action (Perhaps of you posing the bride, using your most feminine poses. This will make it fun, approachable and instill confidence that you can relate to women.)

 

3     Highlight the experience (Every women likes to be spoiled and given pretty things – tell her about the one-of-a-kind experience she’ll get by hiring you or highlight the beautiful packaging she will receive with her album – show her that you can cater to her feminine side.)

 

 

 

The last thing we talked about is choosing the photographs that are displayed on photographers websites?

 

I talked about starting with 3-5 adjectives that describe or define your brand’s style – that can be editorial, fun, fresh, etc. Then pick only the images that exemplify these key words. Another thing to think about when choosing images is that these images are in-line with your visual brand message. For instance, if your brand is vintage the post processing technique needs to supports that message. You don’t want pops of color or highly contrasting black and whites in your portfolio. Some final thoughts on this topic are:

 

1     You don’t want less than 5 or more than 20 images (Too few images wont give a potential bride enough of a variety to get a sense of your style. On the flip side, too many will overwhelm her and her decision making process.)

 

2     Only put out there what you want to attract (You want to highlight images that will attract the brides you want to work with. If you want couples that are fun, showcase images that have couples smiling and interacting.)

 

 

 

Hope this helps give you a more, in-depth look on how you can optimize your website to attract brides during engagement season. To read the full article, sign up for a FREE membership to Behind the Shutter here. Vanessa’s article begins on page 120 and you can see our interview on page 126.

 

Have you found other ways to attract brides during engagement season? I would love to hear about them in the comments below!

 

I’m so excited to be a mentor this year for Thirst Relief’s Mentor Auction starting January 31st at 11PM EST.

 

Not familiar with Thirst Relief? They are a non-profit who provides clean water to those in need around the world.

Through their Mentor Auction, Thirst Relief will enable you to bid on eBay for a 90-minute instructional session with some of the best photographers in the business! That means you have the chance to spend 90 minutes with me, learning the ins and outs of branding your photography. This is an opportunity to review of all of your visual brand items, to include, but not limited to, your portfolio, website, blog, paper goods, etc. to help you develop and create a consistent visual message. Plus, you will have the opportunity to work with me to create a completely new, custom identity.

 

100% of the proceeds directly benefit Thirst Relief, meaning all that money goes towards saving the lives of those in need! Last time, the Mentor Auction gave over 8,000 people clean water – just WOW!!

 

There’s just one thing I need you to do before the auction starts:

 

Tell all your friends!!

 

Please help me spread the word by sharing this on Facebook, Tweet about it, post it on Instagram, Pin it – anything to get it out there!

 

You can get more info about the auction here:

http://thirstrelief.org/site/auction

 

and, be sure to check the auction out starting January 31st at 11PM EST here:

http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=thirstreliefinternational

 

See you there!

I have loved hearts in fashion for a while now! With Valentine’s day around the corner, I thought it fitting to collect some of my favorite pieces I found on Pinterest.

 

 

1     I LOOOOVE this Love Ballad Tunic from ModCloth. I think the versatility of it is limitless.

2     A fabulous DIY design for Heart Print Jeans from My Little Secrets.

3     I think this sweater would be super cute for a casual look with black jeggins and wedge sneakers. Here are some additional angles.

4    I love elbow patches and the We’re Young at Heart Sweater gives a different spin on the standard patch. Another must-have from ModCloth.

5     I’m seriously all about scarves and the whimsical print of this Heart Print Wool-Silk Scarf would compliment any outfit.

6     Elbow patch!! I love how the coral patch pops, a nice design detail on the Little Intarsia Heart Sweater created by Chinti & Parker for Goop (founded by Gwyneth Paltrow).

 

Which pick is your favorite?

 

I love 101 in 1001s – I think these types of lists are a happy medium between writing a to-do list and keeping a bucket list. It’s a way to dream big and make regular progress toward meeting long-term goals.

 

Last year I attempted to create such list and got to #19 before I was out of ideas! It’s funny how you can think of a million things to do when your not really “thinking” about it.. I did some research and came across a few that followed a common goal:

Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and represent “stretching.”

 

This last part, I thought was fantastic – creating your list around identities you want to develop over the next 2.75 years, ultimately contributing to your overall personal growth.. loves it!

 

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks/goals/challenges in a period of 1001 days.

 

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and represent “stretching.”

 

Why 1001 Days?

It’s all about a realistic deadline. 1001 days (about 2.75 years) allows you several seasons to complete tasks, which is better for organizing and timing things like overseas trips or outdoor activities.

 

Start Date: January 1, 2012
End Date: September 27, 2015

 

Crossed out marks a completed item
Italics marks a partially completed or in-progress item

 

Be Kind to yourself and others
1. Pay a bill for someone
2. Send a care package to someone (of no relation) in the military
3. Send my mom flowers out of the blue
4. Drink eight (16.9 oz) bottles of water every day for one week
5. Practice Crossfit three times a week for three months, four times a week for two months and five times a week for one month
6. Create a daily habit system and follow it for a full year
7. Write a love note to Shelvie every day for one month
8. Help a friend stylize a fabulous party
9. Create a hospital survival kit for a new momma
10. Cultivate ten new habits to make my life more green
11. Work up to running five miles without stopping
12. Spend a day with each of my siblings doing what they want, paid for by me
13. Invest time/talent in a humanitarian effort
14. Throw a stylized surprise party for a friend
15. Get a hot stone message
16. Donate hair to Locks of Love
17. Take vitamins daily for a month
18. Wash my face every morning and night for one month

 

Make your house a home
19. Create a date jar for me and Shelvie
20. Dedicate one wall to a collage of our families + us as a fmaily
21. Create a functioning home office for both Shelvie and me
22. Create family year book for each year, 2008-2012
23. Buy steer horns for over the bed
24. Create a memory jar
26. Buy a new car
27. Acquire a KitchenAid mixer
28. Replace the lamps in the livingroom and bedroom
29. Buy a small globe and another decorative piece for Ezra’s room
30. Create a family year-in-review newsletter and mail it to family and friends along with a Christmas card each year
31. Make an address book with contact, birthday and anniversary information for family and friends
32. Create a website that highlights our adoption
33. Host a slumber party
29. Host an adult themed party
30. Successfully maintain Ezra’s baby book
31. Successfully document my journey as a momma on my tumblr

 

Go on an adventure
32. Go on a Harry Potter Walking Tour and Studio Tour in London
33. Attend an Opera
34. See “The Nutcracker”
35. Go treehouse camping or glamping
36. See the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall
37. Go to a professional Basketball game
38. Attend a professional Hockey game
39. Try ten new foods
40. Run a 5k, then a half-marathon, then complete a triathlon
41. Explore two states I’ve never been to
42. Go surfing in Australia
43. Attend a symphony
44. Go to an Underwater Museum
45. Ride on a sailboat
46. Take a trapeze lesson
47. Take a working ranch vacation
48. Go strawberry picking
49. Go to a drive-in movie theater
50. Go to the top of the Empire State building
51. Attend a Sunday Supper with a girlfriend(s)

Live with Faith
52. Visit five new churches for a different experience
53. Go on a missions trip (to work with children, build a home or a clean water system)
54. Increase giving to missions
55. Invite someone to come to church with Shelvie and me, have them come at least one time
56. Find a bible study for Shelvie and I that we can attend regularly
57. Read the bible cover-to-cover, keep a journal
58. Do a daily devotional every day for one year, keep a journal
59. Pray fervently for someone’s need and don’t stop until you see the miracle in their life

 

Let your creative juices flow
60. Photograph and post 12 separate outfits for the world to see
61. Read a book of poetry
62. Read biographies of five people I admire
63. Make someone a handmade/homemade gift
64. See ten classic films
65. Do ten DIY projects and blog about them
66. Go to a free concert in a park
67. Bind a homemade book
68. Crochet a blanket
69. Make five different wearable DIY bracelets
70. Get a bunch of girls together for a flower arrangement class or host one yourself
71. Make your own solid perfume
72. Create a time capsule
73. Complete the 365 project, then display it somehow (exs: 1, 2, 3, 4)
74. Plan/execute a clothing swap

 

Step outside your comfort zone
75. Paint a piece of furniture or a wall a bold color
76. Complete the 100 Strangers project
77. Take shooting lessons at a firing range
78. Post a vlog
79. Buy a house
80. Learn how to swim (freestyle)
81. Dye a portion of my hair pink or some other unnatural color

 

Cultivate a booming business
82. Publish an e-book/website/lesson PDF
83. Go to Engage!, the luxury wedding business summit
84. Attend Alt Summit, a blogging conference
85. Reach 100 subscribers on the blog
86. Add a “search” feature to the blog
87. Add a philanthropic aspect to your business
88. Find someone to help you work out your visual brand message
89. Find someone to help you flush out the “business” side of things
90. Define a topic list for the blog
91. Create a working client system/workflow for JLM clients
92. Collaborate on a project with another creative
93. Dedicate one full year to establishing and growing a photography business
94. Study with Jeremy Cowart ..
95. .. and Zach Arias
96. Get JLP featured in a magazine and on a wedding blog
97. Commit and order business cards for JLM and JLP
98. Revamp and update both JLM and JessicaLeeBlog
99. Read at least one business book a month for a year
100. Enter one JLP print into competition

 

101. Make a new 101 list

 

If any of you are also starting a 101 list, or have one in progress, I would love to check it out! Just leave a comment with the link below.

(source)

 

 

Since one of my main goals for 2013 is growth, I thought it would be a great idea to reflect on this past year. I compiled a short list of expectations, victories and regrets. I want to hold myself accountable so I can map out plans to take ACTION.

 

EXPECTATIONS

1     Moving (I thought we would be moving to a bigger place at the end of the year)

2     Getting back my pre-baby body (I was fit before and thought I would naturally bounce back)

3     The process for our adoption would be faster (We’ve hit major road blocks in the process that were out of our control.. very disheartening!)

4     Breastfeeding would be easy (I figured it would just come naturally)

5     I wouldn’t gain THAT much weight during pregnancy (48lbs.. what?!)

6     I would consistently write in Ezra’s baby book (Instead, I’ve been keeping notes in my iPhone.. not necessarily the best place to keep it)

 

REGRETS

1     Not serving more (Constantly being “busy” and never having the time for what really matters)

2     Didn’t attend Alt Design Summit or engage! 12 (This one is totally my fault, lack of planning on my part!)

3     Not getting Ezra’s hand-print at 0-1 months (Having to go back to the hospital for Ezra’s biliruben, an infected belly button, struggling to nurse + all the things that come with a newborn and being a new mom, I was overwhelmed. I thought to and really wanted to, I just couldn’t make it happen)

4     I didn’t start working on our adoption paperwork sooner (I had planned to start my maternity leave a month before Ezra was born. I had big plans to rest, complete all the paperwork for our adoption, perhaps vision cast for JLM. Two projects were so close to completion and I chose to finish them instead. Ezra decided to come over a week early, cutting my maternity leave to only five days.)

5     Not getting a lactation nurse (This was something we could not afford at the time. For our next child, it is a must do!)

6     Using maternity leave to develop strategies for JLM (Everyone warns you about how tired you will be.. they are not lying! There is a continuous fog that lingers for some time afterwards. There was no decision-making at this point!)

 

VICTORIES

1     Survived labor (Labor, for me, was very difficult)

2     I didn’t get postpartum depression (Something I was very concerned about. Depression runs through my family + my grandmother suffered from severe postpartum after each of her five children)

3     Tag teaming night feedings (Once we moved to strictly bottle feeding, Shelvie was able to help more.)

4     Breast feeding for 5.5 months (2.5 months over my minimum, .5 months less than my goal. I would have loved to breastfeed for a full year, I had so many issues, I really had to push through to make it the six months. So grateful.)

5     Jessica Lee Media sponsored  Vanessa Joy and Rob Adams when they where on creativeLIVE (Two people who have become very dear friends. So honored to support them and their business’s.)

6     Started the season as a second shooter (Moving up from a third shooter in just one season!)

 

 

(original source)

 

 

If you’d like to share your victories, expectations and regrets of 2012, I’d love for you to list them in the comments section! Then, leave them behind and hit the “reset” button!

 

 

Refreshed from an extended maternity leave, I’m super excited to be back! I had a lot of time to reflect on 2012. I realized I want a more organized life, one that is simplified and allows for growth. I want to hold myself accountable – map out plans to take ACTION.

 

I’m ready to hit the “refresh” button.

 

(updated on 1/4/2013)

On Saturday I celebrated my baby shower, an amazing collaboration between my mom and I that I’m so very proud of! (I talked about the inspiration here, here and here)

 

The dishes and silver-wear were from Costco, a budget friendly solution that looked like the real thing!

 

After scouring the web, I found that buying milk bottles was going to be out of my budget, so I followed a trail of breadcrumbs on Pinterest and discovered re-purposed Starbucks Frappuccino bottles (I gained about 9 pounds drinking all those yummy drinks! Super high in calories.. be warned.. haha!). To dress them up a bit, I wrapped them in cream colored paper – left over from my invitation making days – and tied them with hemp twine found in the jewelry section at Michaels (a finishing touch also found on Pinterest).

 

The jars and cans were also re-purposed – black beans, grape jelly and salsa made the cut. The gold paint was from Krylon, purchased at Michaels. Inspiration for the gold jars can be found here on Style Me Pretty (I also had the wood, but I didn’t store it properly and it got moldy.. what a bummer!).

 

My mom was in charge of all the food preparation and did a fabulous job at displaying it!

 

I always find that showers are on the boring side.. haha.. so I wanted to have fun things for my guests to do.

 

I found many ideas for decorating one-sies while building my baby shower board and ran with it! (Pulled from On To Baby – posts can be found here and here.)

 

I wanted a keep-sake, but not a ‘traditional’ guest book, something that can be collected for my son to read when he got older. I originally saw this idea when Emily Ley did something similar for her son’s first birthday party. She got her inspiration from Joni over at Lay Baby Lay and the design she did for her daughter’s birthday invitations — I love following the trail of breadcrumbs!! haha! To go along with their hope or prayer, I had a Fujifilm Instax Mini (my mother’s day gift) handy so they can include their image too.

 

After they played, I got to have the fun.. opening gifts!! haha!

 

I couldn’t have pulled my dream baby shower off without this amazing lady, my mom!! Love her!!

 

The end of the shower group photo. (some people had to leave early and are missing)