Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! Who else is planning on spending a little bit of the day indulging in chocolate & maybe some wine? Just me? I hope you treat yourself today!
I absolutely love celebrating holidays and couldn’t let today pass without sharing something fun with you all! My sweet photog friend, Savannah, and I were brainstorming how we could celebrate Valentine’s Day with our clients without getting super romantic and mushy because let’s be real…my personal ideal Valentine’s Day looks a little more like those themed foldable valentines that we all exchanged in elementary school {Bonus if they include temporary tattoos or those little fun sized candy bars} and a little less like date night. {If your Valentine’s Day plans DO include date night, more power to you!!} SO, we are both sharing 14 things that we are absolutely LOVING right now! I had a blast creating this list and loved that it encouraged me to look at all of the little things that I am grateful for in this season of life!
I’ve broken my list up into two parts–Business & Photography and Personal! From apps to products and a few random thoughts in between, I’m sharing it all! Tune in below and send me a message if we have anything in common!
Savannah’s list will be up on her blog today too, so be sure to pop on over to give her some love by clicking here.
Business & Photography
- Ok, Squarespace users…did anyone else also just find out that you get a FREE Acuity scheduling account with your Squarespace account?! I just discovered this fact this weekend, and oh my goodness, was it life changing. This tool allows you to set your availability schedule to share with clients, making booking meetings & session dates SO much easier! Organizing Penn State senior sessions this year is going to be a breeze–thank goodness! I cannot wait to dive into this tool even MORE over the next couple of months because there are SO many features that I still have yet to discover.
- If you use Instagram for business, blogging or networking, you NEED this app! Plann allows you to plan, draft and schedule reminders to post on Instagram, all from one app! You are able to schedule days of content, can review your stats and track goals all from the palm of your hand all while review just how each image will look in your grid! I currently use the free version of this app and have found that it was just what I needed to help curate my feed. There is a paid version with SO many other great features on this app, but this is how I am currently using it!
- This app has become my BEST friend! Last year, I really struggled to keep current with my mileage. I would manually write my mileage for each and every session and wedding, based on the reading in my car at the start and end of my trip, but the in-between pickups, post office runs, meetings, etc. fell off my radar. I was missing SO many come January! MileIQ literally tracks your every drive and allows you to categorize each for business or personal use! It is SO motivating to see your total miles & their monetary value tick up and up as you go! Keeping up with my miles has almost become an addiction because it is SO satisfying to see how much I will be saving come next tax season! I will say that I ended upgrading to the paid version of this app (40 drives/month are free, and I drive a lot!), and though it is $60/year, the investment was well worth it!
From left to right: MileIQ, Acuity Scheduling & Plann!
- I almost feel silly adding this one to my list, but y’all, reflectors with handles change the game! I tried one out at Hope Taylor‘s workshop last week, and all I could think was where in the world has this been all my life?! I tried shooting with reflectors for the longest time but they often ended up getting folded up and stuffed back in my bag because let’s be real, balancing a camera and reflector while directing someone through a posing experience all on your own can be a little difficult. I was so surprised by how much EASIER the handles made it to hold the reflector on my own! I bought one of my own this past week and can’t wait to put it to use!
Wild and Crazy Bridal Bouquets
- Brides…this one is for you! I have been so inspired the wild and crazy colorful bridal bouquets that I have been seeing here and there! I just wanted to put a little thought in your head today. If you are feeling stuck on your florals or aren’t sure where to start, know that color & variety are your best friend! Long ribbons are also an AMAZING way to tie your entire look and color palette together. You’re only doing this thing once, right? Might as well go big with it! (As a bonus? The bigger the bouquet, the better the bicep workout on your wedding day! Flex them guns, sista!) I put together a little inspiration board for you to peruse on Pinterest, so feel free to check it out!
The color GREEN
- This one feels REALLY silly to add to the list, but this past year, I have had a total internal battle with the color green! My photog friends can probably understand this one! When you are surrounded by a ton of lush greenery on a shoot, you pretty much feel like you are in heaven!! But, fast forward to the editing process, and it often feels like your subjects are surrounded by literal neon green leaves and trees. It can really start to feel like a distraction from your sweet subjects. I spent so much of this last year digging into the color green and learning all about how I want my greens to look in post processing. Believe it or not, there is a lot to learn about just one color! For a while, I tried the muted green tone thing. I soon realized that I wasn’t super excited about my work and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. I tried editing a session with bright, bold greens and found the missing puzzle piece! The color GREEN! The muted green tone thing so wasn’t for me, and that’s okay! I love plants (more on this later!) and lush greenery, and it only makes sense that my work reflects this! CHEERS to embracing the color green from here on out!
Dreaming bigger than my brain can handle
- Without revealing too much, guys, there are some EXCITING things in the works right now that I just can’t wait to share with you. Putting this favorite on my list is actually a really UNCOMFORTABLE for me to write out. I have been dreaming and planning and working on some pretty huge things, and my brain hasn’t quite caught up with everything yet. Let’s just say that life is about to be flipped right upside down! I am so excited to share more with you very soon!
Personal
- If you know me well, you know that I love me some essential oils! Joy from YoungLiving has been on my list for the longest time, and I just recently added it to my collection. It is a gorgeous blend of florals with notes of citrus and it literally makes me want to run around town singing at the top of my lungs. I made a little roller bottle to keep in my bag with me at all times because it is just THAT good!
- Ok…this one also has to do with my oils, but on a different end of the spectrum! I am working on (very slowly) eliminating toxins from my daily routine. I started with laundry (my least favorite chore!), and I have to say that these little drier balls made this task so much more fun! Instead of using drier sheets, I’ve started using drier balls! I typically put a few drops of oil on two to three drier balls and pop them in the drier with my wet laundry. Everything comes out static free AND smelling like my favorite essential oil! (My favorite blend for laundry is currently lavender and lemon!) It is so nice to know that this part of my routine is completely free of toxins!
Benefit It’s Potent! Eye Cream Mini
- Ok guys…this stuff is expensive but it is AMAZING! Let’s be real, we all go through seasons of life where sleep should be a priority but just doesn’t end up happening as much as it should! I often feel like the bags under my eyes are slowly but surely getting out of control, and this powerful cream has done wonders with minimizing dark circles, brightening my skin and smoothing lines that come with a lot a bit of stress and not enough sleep. When my sister showed me this little pot of goodness, I totally thought she was joking about how much of a difference it makes, but it really DOES make a big difference. I linked to the full size above but currently have a $10 mini size that I bought on Amazon! It has lasted me quite some time! (Yes…The irony of sharing this one under bullet point about eliminating toxins and funky chemicals from my routine isn’t lost on me. Baby steps y’all, baby steps.)
Ikea Furniture
- I moved into my apartment about a year and a half ago, and when I moved, I never really took the time to look at my systems, to see what I needed and to learn about how I could maximize my space to actually make sense for ME! A few weeks ago, I got fed up with a messy desk and a dresser that was mostly broken and ordered a few pieces from Ikea. Y’all it sounds so silly to say it, but these two pieces made the biggest difference in my organization! I ordered a large standing set of drawers for next to my desk and a new dresser (both in white) and have been LOVING what they have done for my space. Putting them together was a process for sure, but I am so thankful that I decided to go for it. If you’re curious, I purchased the Malm 6-Drawer Chest and the Alex Drawer with 9 Units (Pictured below on the left!).
Houseplants
- I love me some plants, y’all…clearly. I have added a few new friends to my family over the last couple of weeks and love what my green babies do to brighten up my space! Working with a jungle of green around me is one of the best ways that I have found to stay inspired! Plus, it is so much fun to see my babies grow from day to day–they’ve really become part of my family! #CrazyPlantLadyForLife
Sophie Snapchats
- My mom does SUCH a good job with sharing our sweet pup’s life with us all the way from Texas. I can look forward to a Sophie snap at least once a day, and they always brighten my mood! A few of my favorite recent snaps are below just because I think she is the cutest thing in the world! I can’t wait to snuggle her when I am home in just a few weeks!
Seeing my favorite people
- This quieter season of life in between seasons has been so necessary. Not only have I had a chance to breathe and dream and plan a little, but I have also had a chance to actually see some humans that mean a lot to me! There were so many people that I missed seeing during busy season, when most week nights were spent editing and emailing and most weekends were spent behind my camera. Don’t get me wrong, I love both seasons with all my heart, but it has been so fulfilling to be able to pour into the people that mean the most to me!
There ya have it, friends! 14 things that I am absolutely loving right now! I would love to hear what you are loving right now! Leave me a comment or send me an email! Oh, and HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
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