capturing the sweet life.

Smith Family - OUT!!

Well, the countdown has begun -- 48 hours until we touch down in Florida for the week =)  We are VERY excited about it around these parts, and I will understandably not be posting next week.  However, I plan on taking LOTS of pictures (for myself!!  Yay!!) and can't wait to share them all with you when we get back.

One other thing I'll be doing as soon as possible after we get back to GR is one or more photo shoots at the new Chihuly glass sculpture exhibit at Frederick Meijer Gardens.  If you're going to be in Grand Rapids anytime between tomorrow and September 30th, I HIGHLY suggest making time in your itinerary for a stop here.  His work is incredible and I, for one, can't wait to see what he can do outside.  Here's a sneak peek:

See all ya'll in a couple weeks!!

Business Headaches

So, one of the biggest reasonsI haven't posted much lately is that I've actually been pretty busy with the process of starting my photography business.

I took a two week class at GROW that really forced me to take a look at how to start this business correctly and smartly.  And I'm realizing that to do that, I need to slow down just a bit.

I've sort of been telling myself that because I've been booking a few sessions I immediately need to get a logo designed, a website up and running, register with the state, get business cards, join professional organizations, etc, etc, etc.  But this class really helped me understand that I want to do this right. 

I don't want to rush into this.

There's still SO MUCH I have to learn and NO ONE ELSE is in a hurry here but me.  

So I WILL be registering with the state - I've taken money for my sessions, so I need to get that taken care of ASAP.

But the logo, website, business cards and all that other stuff -- that can wait a bit.  I really want to perfect my craft a bit more, know my camera like the back of my hand, understand the technical aspects of photography...

And, most importantly, I want to run a smart, successful business.  And that takes planning.  So I'm going to keep taking pictures, for sure.  But I'm also going to cut myself a little slack and pick up my camera for myself every now and then.

 

You're Invited!!

YOU are cordially invited to attend a lavish

PITY PARTY

hosted by and FOR

ME!!! (Stacy)

When?                              Today, possibly tomorrow.  We'll see how it goes.

Where?                             My place, cuz I ain't leavin'

What can you bring?          Maybe some Cheetos and a 6 pack of Oberon (more if you expect me to let you have some)

Why?                                Because today was just "one of those days."

-----

Ugh.  I'm in a funk people.  What happened to all that motivation and positive outlook I had a mere two months ago??  How is it possible to have been MORE motivated in crappy February than I am now when the weather is gorgeous, the birds are singing, my tulips look lovely...?

What's up, you ask? (Or maybe you didn't, but you're still reading this, so I'm gonna tell you anyways!)

My workout this morning felt like torture.  Actual physical torture.  I'm really starting to get down on myself and wonder if I was certifiably INSANE when I agreed to do this race coming up.  Yes, I have two months left to train, but most of my May will be CRA- A - A- ZY.  Plus I really thought I'd be feeling better by now, or at least like I'm improving.  But I literally can't run more than 5 minutes without feeling like my face is on fire, my shins are about to snap and my heart is going to explode.  And I'm supposed to be able to do that for 30+ minutes?!?!

But that's not even the worst part.  The worst part is that I'm starting to get bitter.  Bitter not just at myself, but at the people around me that used to inspire me.  I feel like I'm being left behind.  Like everyone else is off running 3, 4, 5, 10 miles and I'm struggling through 3 laps at the gym.  I used to think, "Well, hey - if so-and-so can do this, I sure as heck can!!"  But now I'm starting to think that "those people" have something I must not have.  They must have been runners before.  Or they must be stronger than I am.  Or have better shoes.  Or are just better at "pushing through the pain" than I am.  I dunno.  But I used to take strength from their successes.  Now I just want to trip them as they run by me on the track!

So clearly, I need to get a grip here.  I need to figure out where my motivation has wandered off to.  Perhaps my upcoming weekend in Traverse City with some great girlfriends will help (so long as no one mentions how "Fantastic they felt on their 6 mile run this morning" or how they "just L-O-V-E that runner's high").  And, if that doesn't help, then I guess there's always Cheetos and Oberon, right?

The Great Flood

Whew - yesterday morning we had a heck of a downpour.  And, unfortunately, when it rains that hard, that fast, this is what my neighborhood turns into...

A closer look at our yard...

Thankfully, with the easement just on the other side of our fence, it does drain away quickly (in fact, this isn't even at the water's highest stage).  But not without leaving a mess in it's wake...

 

So much for not having to fill my garden box with soil this year! 

Natalie DID get a kick out of the hail, though.

I guess the bright side is that we don't have many trees in our yard, so there's no down branches to pick up.  That is a bright side, right?  Um, maybe not. 

Quick Read: "Lift"

I just finished this book...

 

And found it to be a very quick, insightful read.  Seriously, it's 83 pages - I read it in one day.  Here's a brief synopsis from Amazon:

No matter when and why this comes to your hands, I want to put down on paper how things started with us.

Written as a letter to her children, Kelly Corrigan's Lift is a tender, intimate, and robust portrait of risk and love; a touchstone for anyone who wants to live more fully. In Lift, Corrigan weaves together three true and unforgettable stories of adults willing to experience emotional hazards in exchange for the gratifications of raising children.

Lift takes its name from hang gliding, a pursuit that requires flying directly into rough air, because turbulence saves a glider from "sinking out." For Corrigan, this wisdom--that to fly requires chaotic, sometimes even violent passages--becomes a metaphor for all of life's most meaningful endeavors, particularly the great flight that is parenting.

Corrigan serves it up straight--how mundanely and fiercely her children have been loved, how close most lives occasionally come to disaster, and how often we fall short as mothers and fathers. Lift is for everyone who has been caught off guard by the pace and vulnerability of raising children, to remind us that our work is important and our time limited.

I was a bit disappointed that the book was so short - I like Corrigan's writing style and would have liked to have heard more of her stories.  But since it's written as a letter to her children, I understand the restraint she showed in its' length.

If you're looking for a quick, easy read that also makes some very poignant observations about life as a parent, I recommend picking this up.

It's a Beautiful Day

Just some shots taken the other day of the kids enjoying lunch outside...

I've totally been LOVIN' this beautiful weather we've had lately!  

Super Cute!!

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing my friend's daughter, Elsa.  She just turned one and is so incredibly adorable...

I mean, really! 

Elsa's brother, Leo, got in on a few shots, too.  Get a load of those bookend dimples!!

 

This was also my first photo shoot in RAW format.  I have NO idea what took me so long to start shooting in RAW - I think I was afraid it would take me MORE time to edit, MORE time to adjust settings "in the field"...it was actually just the opposite.  Once I figured out ACR, editing was a snap.  And the images are SOOO much crisper and cleaner SOC.  I'm thrilled and will likely never shoot in JPEG again.  I'm a RAW convert!
 

Rose, your kids are so stinkin' cute - it was a pleasure hanging out with you guys that day!  Hope you enjoy the shots!

 

I'm a Warrior!! (...or, at least I HOPE I'll be one in June...)

In an earlier post, you may recall reading that Brian and I are running in the Joliet, IL Warrior Dash on June 19th.  Here's how THAT came to be...

The fantastic chick I've been serving as co-leader with over the past 6 months (Christine) is on a similar weight-loss journey to mine.  Only, she's now where I'd like to be in about 6 months.  Anyways, she posted something to our chapter's website about the Warrior Dash and how she was interested in doing it and wanted to know if anyone else was willing to come along for the ride.

Of course, without REALLY thinking, I said, "Hey, ME!!  I'd love to do it!!"  It looked fun and a bit Survivor-esque.

And then I looked a little closer at it -- that's when the freak outs began!

The Warrior Dash is basically a 5K run (or walk, if that's how you roll) with 12 "obstacles" thrown in for good measure.  What kind of obstacles?  Oh, just your run of the mill cargo net climbs, hay bale jumps, rocky ravine romps, swamp swims and mud pit crawls.  And at the end you get to run through fire, of course.

!!!!!!!!

Keep in mind, folks, I haven't run consistently since college.  So in order to get in shape and ready to be a warrior, I'll be  following a Couch to 5K Program starting next week.  I have been running a bit over the past 4 weeks or so, but I didn't feel like the training program I was following would adequately prepare me for running a full 5K.  So I'm switching it up and we'll see how this one treats me.  I'm also doing a lot of upper body training (the Gravitron is my new favorite machine at the gym) and may do some rock climbing or something to help me get in shape for the obstacles.

So far I feel pretty good.  The first few weeks kicked my butt and I wasn't sure how I'd ever feel good enough to run ONE mile, let alone 3.1.  But I already feel less sore after my runs and stronger overall.

Brian also signed up to do the race with me and I've requested that he to go at my pace (you know, in case I need help getting my butt over those hay bales!).  I think it'll be a lot of fun for us to do it together and I'm also really glad to have Christine there for support and inspiration.

So if you're in Joliet on June 19th, stop by the race and come cheer us on.  Brian and I will be sporting our best John Randall faces =)