Stopping By >>>

It's that time of year again. Client work is starting to wind down, 

and I snuck in a little personal time for some self-portraits today.

The last few months have been a whirlwind, but it's been amazing. :)

I'm excited for a little downtime next month as I catch up on editing 

and finish off my last wedding of the season.

My 2014 wedding season will be starting off right away in January 

so there will be lots more to come!

Character.

“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

A photo from my senior portrait session the other evening.

Checking In.

Just checking in. :) 
Life has been full of beautiful chaos. Photography has been in full force...
leading to late nights and little sleep, and I love it.

Just 22 days until I'm jet setting off to England.
I ordered the little Canon 40mm 2.8 lens to take with abroad so you can expect lots of photos.

Here is a recent favorite quote that related especially well to me:

"One reason that people have artist’s block is that they do not respect the law of dormancy in nature. Trees don’t produce fruit all year long, constantly. They have a point where they go dormant. And when you are in a dormant period creatively, if you can arrange your life to do the technical tasks that don’t take creativity, you are essentially preparing for the spring when it will all blossom again."

Aleisha {part 2}

I am so happy with life right now…
I've been feeling so inspired.
I can’t wait to spend my days shooting, loving life with friends and family, traveling & exploring the world.

Take risks, people. They are are so very worth it.

 

Aleisha {part 1}

"I think that’s what’s wrong with the world; no one says what they really feel, they always hold it inside. They’re sad, but they don’t cry. They’re happy, but they don’t dance or sing. They’re angry, but they don’t scream. Because if they do, they feel ashamed, and that’s the worst feeling in the world. So everyone walks with their heads down and no one sees how beautiful the sky is." 

...I'm working on seeing more of the sky.

Oh me, oh my.

Happy, self. :)

Feeling alive.

I've been spending more time focusing on what it means to be happy these last couple of months.

After some much needed soul searching... I am so happy and more inspired than ever.

Love yourself first.

Edison Style Lamp [DIY]

After seeing this DIY by Three Little Black Birds on Pinterest I just had to give it a try too!
I love the style of these lamps and plan to hang mine once I find the perfect spot in my new apartment!

The hardest part of this whole process was trying to find somewhere locally that sold a simple cord kit!

All you need for this DIY:
1. Mason Jar 

2. Light Bulb (I got mine at Menards for $9)

3. Cord Kit - Tough one to find, but they also sell them online
(For an idea - here's one at Urban Outfitters)
4. Hammer and Nail

5. Pliers of some sort

I apologize for the all the 'in process' crappy cell phone pictures!
It's just too convenient.

 

I started out initially trying to drill the holes into the cap,
but I couldn't keep the drill still enough (thus, the scratch marks on the lid).
So instead I decided to just nail the holes into the lid, much safer :)

  

Once I got the hole punched out of the center - the black light fixture was still a little too big to fit.
Using a needle nose pliers I bent out the sides and then flattened them so I would still be able

to screw the light fixture pieces together. (Nothing poking out)

Here's a close up below -

 

 Once everything came together it was just a matter of
putting the lid on the base of the mason jar and testing out the light! :)

Gretchen [part 2]