First: this is one of my LAST posts from this blog!! Why? It’s getting a maaaaaakeover on the weekend!! So the content will still be around, but it’ll look WAY different!

Now look at this sneak peek of a couple of wonderful women I met on Saturday! They’re local photographers: Cecilia from Cecilia Flaming Photography and Melissa from Melissa Page Photo Art.

More coming sooooooooon.

I’ve been away from my computer for the past few days and will continue to be away because of THIS:

When friends come to visit (and all the way from Ontario!!), the computer takes a back seat. Can I get an amen??

Now I’m off to hang out with Big T & Little T more.

Well okay I’m going to class but after that I will be!!

Dear self,

Stop it. Right now.

Stop comparing yourself. Stop being jealous.

No one is like you, so why should you put yourself up against anyone else?

Everyone goes through life at their own pace, so be patient as you go through yours.

God’s plan is bigger than any other plan you can come up with. Go with His – I’m pretty sure it’ll be awesome.

Pretty sure ;)

Found via Pinterest, click here for source.

adventure: an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be bold, usually risky, with an uncertain outcome

Adventure is something I don’t actively seek. It has always been one of those things in the back of my mind, only brought to the surface when someone else is telling me, their captive audience, about the sweet experience they had wrestling alligators in Florida one summer. To be honest, I’ve been fairly content with this arrangement.

Until now.

If there was ever a time in my life to go on an adventure, this is it. I don’t want to look back when I’m a little old lady, knitting Weasley jumpers on my front porch for my grandkids and swapping good orthopedic footwear brands with my friends, and regret not fully engaging in LIFE. If partaking in life means going on an adventure and, consequently, scaring the crap out of myself, I’m going to do it. I never want to lose this growing sense of curiosity that has taken hold of me lately.

Last week one of my professors announced that there were a few spots open for a travel study in May. One of the words on the board was “photographers,” so (naturally) it caught my eye. I googled the trip, downloaded the application forms, and handed them in. When I got the e-mail saying I was accepted, I was over the moon. The possibility of going on this trip had nestled itself into my heart, quite obviously a gift from God. I had heard about the trip before but never thought I could or should go. The concept of ME being that person with the epic tale of an adventure is/was foreign to me, but God is showing me that He’s got a wicked awesome plan for my life, and it includes a whole lot of epicness.

So, without further interruption, the travel study I will be going on is to…

GUATEMALA & BELIZE!

I’m beyond excited!! Me, my camera, and a bunch of rad students (and one pretty cool prof, let me just say!) traveling and engaging with different cultures for 3 weeks. I already said I might need more memory cards…

I’ve got a little something percolating for the blog while I’m away, so watch out for that!

Since I don’t really have any pictures of me being excited to go on this adventure, I figured I would post some of some other friends of mine getting excited for some other adventures. Just to have some photos, you know?

(Gosh, I’ve never used “some” so much in my life!)

So here’s to the people who dare to be adventurous on a regular basis, and to those who put themselves out there for the possibility of adventure!

Carpe diem, yo.

PS. This is Andrea & Taylor (in order of appearance). Andrea applied for a sweet job we were very excited about it. If she gets the job, she’s Chicago bound! Even if she doesn’t, this is just the beginning of new adventures for all of us, and who would say no to the potential of something exciting?

Vasia is fierce. She is tenacious and feisty, which is what I absolutely love about her. I got to second shoot for her back in October (see Tiffany & Jerry’s wedding here) and I’m SO happy I met her!

Vasia hosted her first workshop on Sunday and I abso-flippin-lutely LOVED it. The morning included all things business and the afternoon included all things GORGEOUS! Seriously, the styled shoot the team put together was absolutely amazing, from the the flowers to the linens to the couple!! Gosh, Jessica and Talon were so wonderful.

I’m so thankful that Vasia was willing to share how she got started, how she runs her business, and how she approaches everything. That kind of openness is so beneficial to other people starting their photography business – there’s so much out there we can look at and engage with, but hearing about real experience from someone who has been there/done that is out of this world! It makes me more and more excited to be doing what I love!!

The shoot was put together by the following group of seriously talented & superb vendors:

Contrary to what I said on Sunday, I am obviously posting a sneak peek, but it’s only for the blog (not Facebook or anything). Vasia is submitting her images for publication so as soon as we hear about where & when it’ll be appearing online, I’ll let you know and then I’ll blog more of my images! I want to see it published because everyone obviously put in a LOT of effort, and putting everything out on the web before the editors get to see it would be lame. We don’t like lame, right?

Thank you thank you THANK YOU to Vasia (check out her website heeeere), to the stellar team behind the shoot, and to Jessica & Talon for being such rockstars!

And thank you to all the other photogs who attended! I knew a couple of you before and it was really cool to meet the rest of you, even if it was brief!