funny

Thứ Hai, 3 tháng 2, 2014

Happy February, see you in March

I haven't blogged in over a week, and it has been the weirdest thing - the first time in years that I took a little time off of blogging for reasons other than vacation or a loss in my family. I took the week off of blogging simply because I have nothing to say, and because my heart just isn't in it right now. The funny thing is, though, I am happier than I've been in longer than I can remember. I wake up every morning in love with my home and my family, and excited to get to work on a business I'm so passionate about. A million thoughts are swimming around in my head 24/7, and none of them have to do with blogging, or even leave any room for thoughts about blogging. I truly am a one-thing-at-a-time kind of girl. That worries me for when we have children, but that's another post for another day.

I haven't really read another blog in weeks, maybe months, and I'm OK with that.

I don't have the urge to share every aspect of every moment of my life anymore (slight exaggeration), and I'm OK with that.

I don't miss outfit posts at all, and the way planning for the next one always made me feel like my wardrobe isn't good enough. Now it all just seems silly.

Bottom line, I think I've grown out of what my blog was before. I think it served it's purpose for a time, and I have no regrets. But now I need to really figure out what I want this blog to be going forward.

One thing I know for sure is that most readers can just tell when your heart isn't in it. I believe that everything you do in life will be received one thousand times better if you do it from a place of true joy and passion for that work. And I just haven't had that for blogging since somewhere in the fall, and I think I need to take a step back and re-evaluate. I don't think I'll ever decide to shut this blog down. I really, truly do enjoy blogging. Or at least I did, and I think I can get that back. I just need a break.

So I'm taking February off. February, because it's a shorter month, and because it's a cold month, and because it's the month of Matthew's birthday and our anniversary and the Bar Exam, and because there's a lot of brand maintenance I'd like to fully devote myself to in the next few weeks, before the blossoming of a busy spring for my photography business.

I'll be be back in March. March begins my favorite time of year in Austin, and it just seems like the perfect time to start fresh here. I'm going to really try to devote myself to getting caught up in February - caught up on putting my home together, caught up on emails in my blog inbox, caught up on that brand maintenance I mentioned, and hopefully all of that catching up will leave me invigorated and creative again when it comes to this online space that really is so dear to me.

I'll still be posting as per usual on Instagram if you'd like to keep up with me there, otherwise, I'll see you all back here in a few weeks. Happy February and happy month of love... :)

Valentine Minis!

Just a little announcement courtesy of j. noel photography, if anyone in town is interested! :)

(all sessions will be held next Sunday in Southwest Austin - email me at jnoelphotography@gmail.com for more details or to book your family!)

Thứ Sáu, 24 tháng 1, 2014

Snow Day

Overnight we had a light dusting of snow, and basically the whole city has shut down since. And I don't blame them. I almost died trying to get a couple pictures of the "snow" out on my front driveway this morning. Treacherours conditions, indeed. But no seriously. Be careful this morning, fellow Texans! That ice is slick!

Yesterday I took the day "off" to run errands and drive all over tarnation looking for a chest of drawers to put in my office, only to wind up coming home defeated and empty-handed, and so frustrated that there was still so much stuff strewn about my office floor and nowhere to put it, that I forced Matthew to bring the large Pottery Barn buffet cabinet we'd been keeping in the garage (since we downsized, a lot of our old stuff doesn't fit in the new place) into my office so I could have some storage space already, damn it. So now I am utilizing a rather oddly placed dining room buffet that smells faintly of mold from our flooded Pod, and you know what? It's a place to put shit until further notice, and I literally breathed a sigh of relief to see a my tidy office space this morning. Snow day + clean office + tortilla soup in the crock pot + editing & coffee = my idea of a fairly nice Friday. :)

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend, and I'll see you back here next week!

Thứ Năm, 23 tháng 1, 2014

Shop Spotlight: Row House 14 for saucy/cute cards

Hey friends! Today I'd like to highlight a shop called Row House 14 just in time for Valentine's Day - if you're looking for a super fun, non-Hallmark card to give your sigO, this shop delivers. Check out their birthday and thank you cards as well (this one is my favorite!). There's a funny/cute card for any occasion over there. :) Use the code MYVALENTINE15 for 15% off your purchase through next Thursday, the 30th!

Have a great day...

Thứ Ba, 21 tháng 1, 2014

Workaholic

The other day I was accused of being a “workaholic,” and while my first instinct was to react (badly, of course), I chose not to really react at all, and instead just sort of let this accusation marinate a bit. Thought about it, weighed it out, asked myself if this was a good or a bad thing, what it means for people in my life… etc, etc. I’ve been thinking about it ever since, so naturally, I had to blog it out. How does anyone without a blog sort out all their feelings? I have no idea. ;)

Lately I have found myself in this strange quandary where I always feel busy, always feel behind, can never fully enjoy being in the moment because my brain is always ten steps ahead of me, pushing me, propelling me forward, causing me a perpetual sense of anxiety and inability to be fully present in anything. I always feel like the crazed rabbit from Alice In Wonderland… “We’re late, we’re late! For a very important date!” and I’d need more than two hands to count all the times I’ve said to someone in my life lately “I’m so BUSY. I’m so BEHIND on work.” In other words, “I don’t have time for you.”

AND I HATE THAT. I don’t want to be that person. No one likes that person. I think, after mulling it over a while, I’ve decided that being a workaholic isn’t necessarily a bad thing depending on the context, but in my case, I think it IS a bad thing. I need desperately to learn balance. I think it’s especially hard for a young business owner to find balance when there is ALWAYS more to be done. The future of your business is 100% in YOUR hands. Each and every responsibility that comes with running your business (in my case, marketing, communication with clients, packaging design, shipping, contracts, web design and copy, bookkeeping [or lack thereof], location scouting, shooting, editing, networking, rebranding, blogging sessions, planning for the future, etc, etc, etc - not including ANYTHING to do with running this blog and creating good content here!) falls entirely into YOUR lap, and no one else’s. It really cannot be delegated, unless you hire an intern. You must simply sit down to your work each day, accomplish as much as you can in order of priority, and when it’s time to clock out at 6:00 o’clock or whenever you decide to call it a day, it’s so important to say to yourself “I did all I could today, and I am proud of my work. My work is not finished, but it will never be. And that’s OK. Tomorrow I will chip away at more, and everything will be OK. But now, NOW I will go be present in my home and in my REAL life with people I love.”

So much easier said than done. But today I’m asking myself for grace. And calm. And peace. I want to ENJOY my work. And then I want to ENJOY my life. At the end of this day, my work will not be finished. I will not be “all caught up.” I don’t think “all caught up” will exist for me anymore. But it IS important to understand when work is done for the day. It IS important to stop using the “busy” language. YOU create the environment you exist in. You create it with your words and with your actions. With how much work you take on, and the price tag you place on your time. So my project now is to be mindful of creating that serenity I so crave in my life. To choose it and embody it and be it, for myself and those around me.

Amen, and amen.

Thứ Năm, 16 tháng 1, 2014

Cute neighborhood bakery alert: Crema

Austin, like most big cities, I suppose, has the highest concentration of really cute, trendy restaurants and bakeries downtown, where all the folks who can afford six hundred grand for an adorable 1900 square foot bungalow live. Those bastard bungalow-livers. (I'm just jealous.)

So those of us who live a little farther out on the outskirts of town are stuck driving deep into Austin for a cute cupcake or some good ambiance, and of course we all (or maybe just me) get inordinately excited when an actual locally-owned restaurant or bakery opens up in our 'hood (vs. chain establishments). I drove past this cute little cafe, Crema, the other day, and in the interest of supporting a business that has the guts to open up and be cute outside of Central Austin, I decided to try it out. As you can tell from the photos above, it's a really great little spot and the food is yummy, too! Awesome cakes, cake balls, and cupcakes, and surprisingly good breakfast tacos. It would be a good place to bring your laptop and do some studying or working, or a nice spot to meet a friend for coffee or brunch. Just putting the word out to those of you who may live in Southwest Austin or plan on visiting.

Happy Thursday!
(view other around-Austin posts here)

Thứ Ba, 14 tháng 1, 2014

Something I've been working on

These days my thoughts have been utterly consumed by the possibilities of this gorgeous new studio space I'm currently sharing with another photographer. I've always felt like boudoir photography was where my business would eventually wind up, and this new space is turning dreams into reality. I am absolutely addicted to the loveliness that is boudoir - every part of it is fulfilling and fun for me. Boudoir photography isn't for every photographer, but ever since my very first session I've know that it's for me.

I hesitate to say too much off the get-go, because so many things are still in the planning stages - like new branding, a separate website for boudoir, and of course marketing to a whole new set of people. But I am excited. So, so excited. It's nice to feel like where you're meant to be. I'll keep you posted as things progress!

Here's a little peek at what's to come, as well as a special I'm currently running. If you're in Austin, I would love to have you in the studio!