Things to do in 2017

Another year, another list! Let's see how I did in 2016, shall we?

Here are the goals I set in 2016:

1. Watch 20 books in my "1001 Movies to See Before You Die" book - I know I watched 19. I stopped keeping track, so I may have gotten another one in there. I count this a success since I at least got close. 
2. Nail down "family formal" lighting - I feel pretty good about this. I've gotten a much better handle on my off-camera flash this year, so family formals have improved! 
3. Write stuff down - I did this a little bit. I had some struggles this year that I wrote about as a sort of therapy for myself, then when I felt sufficiently recovered, I cut the pages out of my journal and trashed them...ha 
4. Let feet heal, and run again - Prior to my dad passing away, I had started running again with minimal pain. I was doing pretty well! Hoping to get back to it this week.
5. Go to church consistently - I had success with this on and off. We did start going to a Life Group though, so that's good! I did better in 2016 than in 2015, but hoping to improve even more in 2017. 
6. Replace main camera - I tried out the successor of my camera, and while I liked it, I didn't feel the need to spend the money on it. The camera I have is still serving me well!
7. Put $5000 toward Rhett's school loans - Success! This was difficult to make happen, but I did it. 
8. Clean out garage - Didn't make even a little progress on this. 
9. Read a book a month - I surpassed this goal by a lot! 66 books total. It's been a very wordy year.
10. Get bushes removed in the backyard - Nope. Seriously have to make this happen eventually.

I honestly didn't feel like I did great this year, but looking back, it's not bad. I set manageable goals and did pretty well. Most of the year was ok, but it really hasn't been the most pleasant one. I was in a "valley" as I like to call it, emotionally, for most of the year. I did finally recover from that around early fall. Then my dad passed away on Thanksgiving and I sort of spiraled. I am good at hiding it, but it's been rough. Time is healing, though, and I'm slowing feeling better. 

Ok, so now that I've got that out of the way, let's look at 2017, shall we?

I hung out with my friend Josh last night and we came up with some goals. Feeling good about things so far!

1. Read 50 books
2. Clean & Organize garage (for real this time) - this is especially needed now that I have a lot of my dad's things that I'd like to hang onto.
3. Tithe - I'm not consistent with this, so I want to get in the habit.
4. Journal weekly - I have a weekly list making journal to help with this! Excited about that. 
5. Research & choose new album for photography packages - I just want something a little nicer
6. Run ≥ 5 miles a week
7. Clean out closet and fix up guestroom - That room needs help!
8. Go through boxes in the attic
9. Minimize:
• Possessions
• Social Media
• Junk Food

These all seem very doable! Nothing too crazy, and mostly stuff that is measurable. I am looking forward to this being a good year. Rhett and I will be celebrating 5 years of marriage this year, AND I'll be celebrating my 30th birthday. I can't believe that I'll be 30 this year! I still don't feel like I'm that far removed from college, but I think that birthday will make it sink in. Here's hoping I don't feel too sad about getting older!

Hope you all have a happy and healthy 2017!

Things to do in 2016

It's that time again. Time to sit down and think of things I want to accomplish in the coming year. I had a pretty successful and productive 2015, so when I sat down to think of things for 2016, I was going a little blank. I honestly pulled a lot of this year's goals out of thin air, but I'm sure I'll think of more things along the way. First, let's see how I did last year:

1. Actually really seriously paint the kitchen - for real this time. - Done with just a few days to spare. I ended up hiring someone to do this, but I went a little above and beyond my original plans. I stained my cabinets (by myself, right in the middle of wedding season) and got new countertops in addition to painting. All we have left is the backsplash and the whole room already looks so much better. I'll do a before/after post when it's done!  
2. Set up guestroom - did this. It's a little half-hearted, but I don't want to spend money on painting and flooring. The important thing is that there's a bed in there and it looks like a real room, not a storage closet. 
3. Shoot 20 weddings - Unbelievably, I ended up with over 25 weddings. This year was insane for my business, and I am still pinching myself. I am beyond thankful for my clients and all the people who have been supporting me.  
4. Get the front flower beds under control - I had more in mind, but all I ended up doing was killing weeds and using pine needles to cover the bed. It looks decent, and the pine needles are free from my back yard! Maybe flowers can be planted this year.  
5. Organize vintage inventory - I did this out of necessity when I moved to a desktop computer. I now have a nice workspace upstairs, and all the vintage stuff is organized in boxes. I'm still not doing anything with it, but at least it's not still strewn all over the place. 
6. Deep clean the house and minimize possessions - the only thing I did was bleach and scrub the tile in my bathroom. Everything else I cleaned was stuff just to get by without living in utter filth. I just hate cleaning y'all. I hate it. 
7. Break 24 minutes in the 5K - Unfortunately I haven't recovered from the plantar fasciitis that I got while training for my marathon in 2014. I've completely stopped running for now to try and get past that. It was hard to let this goal get away since I had gotten somewhat close. 
8. Reach $10,000 in savings - I am so proud of myself for reaching this goal! I still treat non-essential purchases as treats, which helps me not spend too much extra money. Now if only I could get my grocery spending in check... 
9. Do at least 5 personal projects - eh, I kind of decided I didn't care about personal projects anymore. I shoot full time at work plus weddings, so in my personal time, I just like to do other things. 
10. Read a book a month - I don't have trouble with this anymore, but I keep it as a goal because it keeps me from slacking off. I read some GREAT books this year. I discovered a new favorite author, Christopher Buckley, and I'm currently reading his newest, The Relic Master. I also read through the Harry Potter books again. 
11. Walk Chipper 5 days a week - I did well with this on and off, but I've certainly been off since the time changed. I know it's not a good excuse, but it's hard to make myself walk him in the dark. 

Overall, I think 2015 was good! I had such a baller year with my business, and I feel like I got some things in my house under control right at the end of the year. My mood is a ton better when I come home to a kitchen with a pleasant atmosphere, as dumb as that sounds. It really makes a difference! 

Now for 2016... let's see what I came up with. 

1. Watch 20 books in my "1001 Movies to See Before You Die" book - I slacked on this in 2015, but I want to get back on the wagon this year. I enjoy watching the older films in the book (it was published in 2008 I think) even though not all of them are to my taste. I suppose it makes me more well-rounded. 
2. Nail down "family formal" lighting - I've needed to work on this for a while. I need to figure out flash power, position and camera settings to get what I want every single time. 
3. Write stuff down - I tried this last year with no success. Writing things down helps me work through them, and I have neglected doing that in the last several years. I need to get over my fear that people will read it, because honestly no one else would even want to. 
4. Let feet heal, and run again - I've given myself until May before I try and run again. So far, I still have the plantar fasciitis (haven't run since early Dec), but it's not as severe. Crossing fingers! 
5. Go to church consistently - I started this in December, but I want to go every Sunday unless I'm out of town. No excuses. I used my "I'm tired from shooting all day Saturday" excuse far too much this year. Guess what? Everyone else is tired too...get over it. 
6. Replace main camera - would have done this in 2015 if Canon would get their crap together. I'm just waiting for the successor to my currently camera to be released (or even announced! Get it together, Canon!)
7. Put $5000 toward Rhett's school loans - He has a long way to go on those loans, and I've been trying to help. Since I was so successful with saving last year, I'm hoping I can be disciplined enough to make this happen.
8. Clean out garage - It's a wreck. It's got to be done. 
9. Read a book a month
10. Get bushes removed in the backyard - We have some inexplicably placed bushes in the backyard that I can't get out without machinery. Hoping to hire someone to do this in 2016. I'd like to eventually replace my deck with a smaller covered deck and a patio, so I need the space where the bushes are. 

Well that's it! I know these are boring, but I like to set attainable and measurable goals for myself. I find that goals, instead of resolutions, keep me motivated throughout the year.

Here's to a maybe slightly productive 2016! 

If you're curious: 

Things to do in 2015

Things to do in 2014

Things to do in 2013

Things to do in 2012

Things to Do in 2015

For the 4th time, I've made a list of things to do in the coming year. I guess it's becoming a tradition! I like making these goals for myself, even if some of them never get done. I really feel that all of my tasks this year are totally attainable. I tried to keep that in mind when making them. I don't have as many that I can make fun charts for this year, but maybe I can come up with some more later. I loved keeping my 900 miles chart last year. Speaking of last year, let's see how I did in 2014:

1. Pay off car - Done with some time to spare! It felt so good to cross this off. 
2. Clean out shed - This happened! It was largely thanks to my mom and cousins. Most of the stuff in there was theirs. It's nice to have some space in there. 
3. Shoot my own trash the dress session - nope. This became less of a fun idea...so I didn't do it.
4. Make progress on saving for a Canon 5D Mark III - Bought it early in the year and had no trouble paying it off! It's been awesome. 
5. Run 900 miles - Did it :) My marathon put me over the goal.
6. Watch 20 movies in my "1001 Movies to See Before You Die" book - nope. I honestly didn't even try on this one. 
7. Paint the Kitchen - yet again, I let this one get away from me. next year! 
8. Maintain good habits - I let the nutrition slip a few times, but I've done relatively well.
9. Rebrand business to Kristi Woody Photography - done! As you can see, it's Woody & Pearl Photography, and thanks to my friend Scott Heit, my branding is baller. 
10. Read at least a book a month - I didn't keep track of this, but I'm almost positive I did since I read 8 books in December alone. 
11. Build up product and food portfolio - Did a few more shoots this year, mostly for Jerseymaids jewelry and Tulum (my fav restaurant).

I say I really killed it in 2014! Only three goals missed. I also achieved some long term goals that I hadn't originally planned to do last year. I completed a triathlon AND a marathon. Both experiences were...special. I surprised myself with what I was able to accomplish, but I'm not going to pretend it wasn't incredibly challenging. I'm so glad to have crossed those things off my list. Woo hoo! I'm ready to make the most of 2015. 

1. Actually really seriously paint the kitchen - for real this time. 
2. Set up guestroom - this desperately needs to get done
3. Shoot 20 weddings - Booked 11 so far! 
4. Get the front flower beds under control - I'm not above hiring someone to do this one. 
5. Organize vintage inventory - my office looks like a vintage explosion went off. It needs help
6. Deep clean the house and minimize possessions - this will be the hardest for me to accomplish. I hate cleaning with a fiery, burning passion. 
7. Break 24 minutes in the 5K - had to have a running goal in there!
8. Reach $10,000 in savings - This will be tough, but I love setting financial goals. I may invest half of it when I reach my goal.
9. Do at least 5 personal projects - I've set this goal before and missed it, but I have a great group of creative friends in my life that I know will push me. 
10. Read a book a month - I try this every year. It's not hard anymore because I just love reading so much!
11. Walk Chipper 5 days a week - I've gotten really lazy with him, and he deserves better. It'll be good for me too. 

Additional goal: Journal once a week. This was inspired by my good friend Josh Garcia. I've been wanting to get back to journalling anyway, so once a week sounds like a plan! I've been thinking about how little I'm going to remember about my life when I'm older. I want to be able to tell my kids stories (if kids happen...no guarantees), and I know I won't be able to do that without writing things down. My memory on a scale from 1 to 10 is probably a 4. 

Here's to a fantastic 2015! Happy new year (a little late, I know). I hope you all have a wonderful year, and I guess I'll see you back at this post in 12 months. 

Spring Pop-Up Shop, Handmade Goods

My friends Lisa and Keely put together this really great little pop-up shop a few weeks back, and they've got another one coming up this weekend! This time it's called Summer Swell, which is just adorable, and I'm planning to have a few of my prints for sale. I just love this curated collection of awesome handmade wares. At this past one I picked up some art, greeting cards, a magazine and a leather keychain. I'm pumped about my friend Meredith selling her pottery this time around! It's going to be a great time, so if you're around Jackson town Saturday, you should definitely stop by.

The cord organizer that Keely makes is fantastic! I might have to get one after seeing Lee using his. Maybe if I have that I won't forget to pack my photo charger when I travel...

For the Love of Pie - Learning How to Bake

So my friend Lisa, master chef and pie baker extraordinaire, has started hosting pie classes. She lets a small group of people come in and learn how to make her popular caramel apple pie. Now tell me that's not the most awesome thing ever! I hired Lisa to make the jar pies I had at my wedding and they were a huge hit. Now that Lisa has shared her knowledge with me, I'll definitely be trying this myself eventually. The one I made in class turned out awesome! I never realized how every little thing affects the way the crust turns out...and it's all about the crust.

UPDATE: Totally just realized today is Pi Day...I HAVE PERFECT TIMING. (Let's pretend I did it on purpose)

I know it's not the prettiest. I didn't do the best job rolling out my dough, but it still tasted darn good! This is half of a 9" pie recipe. She paired us up so we could split the recipe into these smaller serving pies. Honestly I LOVE that size. It's not so big that I feel guilty :) And I can go ahead and make two anyway and just freeze the other one for a few weeks later.

I guess the moment of truth will come when I try to make this by myself.

P.S. Lisa also makes some killer indigo dyed scarves over at Garner Blue. You should totally check them out!

My Experience with Whole30

If you aren't familiar with Whole30, check it out here. Basically it's a 30 day nutritional program that serves as a sort of metabolic "reset." Starting 30 days ago I completely cut out the following: grains, dairy, added sugar (everything but fruit), legumes. I also modified the fats that I was eating, so no vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.. I mainly used coconut oil for cooking, but occasionally used ghee, which is clarified butter. Think about this for a second: EVERYTHING YOU EAT AFFECTS YOU. I mean, duh, right? It's a pretty obvious statement, but how many times have you eaten a sandwich and thought, "how will this bread affect me?" Probably exactly zero times. The goal with this program (for me anyway) is to identify any foods that are causing problems, such as my lovely mid-20s acne or my constant joint pain. 

veggie casserole + sausage; fried eggs + pistachios; veggie casserole + fried eggs; veggie and bacon omelet

My goals during Whole30:

1. Clear up skin
2. Reduce joint pain when running
3. Improve overall energy levels
4. Lessen abdominal bloating

My skin didn't really clear up like I hoped. It may have improved a little bit, but it's been up and down over the last year, so I don't really credit Whole30 with the little improvement I've seen. Technically I was supposed to be getting grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, etc.. and I didn't. That might have been part of the problem because I would assume the acne is related to hormones. Now my joint pain DID improve. Prior to Whole30, I had taken a break from running to try to help my ankle heal, but it didn't help. I decided to resume running and just deal with the achy ankle. Well, turns out the pain went away shortly after I started Whole30. Hooray! I haven't had a lot of pain at all on my shorter runs, which is wonderful. Of course my knees still ache on long runs, but that's normal. Ok, energy levels. This is where I've been the most disappointed. People are always talking about feeling AWESOME during weeks 3 and 4, and just having so much energy! I didn't get that at all. Maybe I just didn't eat enough most days? I snacked on extra nuts or fruit some days, which helped increase calories, but I may have still been deficient most days because I did lose some weight (which I didn't intend). Ok last goal: bloating. This is something that did improve! Before I started I could poke my stomach out far enough to look like I was a few months pregnant (I'm not), and I felt like a balloon in the middle. I'm sitting here right now and when I relax my stomach, it doesn't bloat out much at all. Score! I know that seems like a dumb thing to be excited about, but when I'm sitting all day in jeans and my stomach is bloated, it's really uncomfortable. I'm anxious to see which of the food groups is causing that. I'll be reintroducing them one at a time, so hopefully I'll be able to figure it out.

I think part of the reason I didn't see a huge change in my energy levels is because I didn't exactly eat like trash to begin with. I have eaten relatively healthily in recent years, so it's not like I went from eating fast food 5 times a week to Whole 30. I think someone going from a horrible diet to Whole 30 would probably see more changes in the way they feel after the program. They'd probably feel like crap the first week or two though, from weening off all the junk!

tacos; hamburger; fajitas; porkchop + sweet potato

I have discovered some great modifications to my favorite foods that I can totally maintain even past Whole 30. For one thing, I didn't really miss the tortillas in tacos/fajitas. A piece of iceburg lettuce worked just fine! Same with the hamburger bun. Now, don't get me wrong, I am in no way going to continue fasting from bread. I have missed pastries like you wouldn't believe, but I'm not going to eat grains when it's not something I am going to drool over. Does that make sense? If I'm going to eat something outside of the Whole 30 approved foods, it's going to be something WORTH IT.

Another great modification I found was subbing salsa for salad dressing. Obviously that only works with certain salads, because salsa wouldn't go well on a spinach and berry salad. But lettuce, bell pepper, chicken and avo topped with some salsa is dang good! I was careful to get salsa without added sugar. Herdez hot salsa is my absolute favorite. The chicken was just cooked on the stove with tons of chili powder and whatever other spices I felt like adding. I also made this Tex-Mex Veggie Casserole that is probably one of my favorite dishes ever. I will definitely be making it again! Rhett didn't even try it, so I got a whole 9x13 pan of it to myself...twice. It doubles as a good breakfast with a couple of fried eggs on top. 

turkey burger; salad + blackened chicken; salad + chicken + asparagus and bacon; salad + nuts

If you're thinking "I could NEVER do that!" you need to silence that voice right now. Don't ever think you can't give up certain foods, because you absolutely can. It's 100% mental, so if you think you can't do it, you just need to change your attitude. I didn't think I could do it, but once I set my mind to it, I just handled it. Sure there were days when I teared up a little thinking about brownies, but I got over it. 

chicken tortilla(less) soup + avo; tuna and avo lettuce wrap; turkey "sandwich" + pistachios + cuties; bacon wrapped chicken + green beans + cuties

A few other things I learned along the way: I just can't do ground turkey, it's disgusting. You can keep your turkey burgers. I can totally do Whole 30 with a husband who has no interest in it. Not stuffing myself to the point of pain is actually a great idea...I should keep doing that. Sweet potatoes are literally the best vegetable. I can photograph a wedding without eating a piece of the cake (I previously thought this to be impossible).

I think I want to maintain a Whole 30 compliant diet at least 80% of the time from now on, but I'm glad to be out of the "reset" phase so that I can feel ok about eating popcorn at the movies and putting cream in my coffee. And just to be clear, this is NOT A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN. I didn't plan to lose weight, but I have been increasing my mileage and running frequency, so it translated to weight loss. I also ate far less on Whole 30 just because bread usually accounted for most of my calories. It was a side effect, but not a reason to do Whole 30 (in my opinion).

I'd love to hear from you if you've done Whole 30! I probably didn't do it exactly right because I didn't read the book, but I think I got the gist of it down. Also, feel free to ask me questions about it, and I'll do my best to answer them. 

Saying "See You Later" To Margaret

One of the only things I dislike about living in Jackson and still being involved at my alma mater is that the people I become close with often move on from this small city. Margaret is one of those people that has come to a point in her life where it's time to move on to a new place. Lucky for me, that place is only two hours away AND it's a place I visit often: Nashville. Despite being close, seeing her moving on is still tough. Margaret is one of those people I always get really excited about seeing. She's been a creative inspiration, a sounding board for my insecurities, and a source of many many laughs over the last few years. I wanted to document our last little get-together at her Jackson home, so here's the story...

The people in these pictures are some of the most special people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Kelsey was my roommate for quite a while (and I still miss living with her!); Ryan and Margaret are fellow creatives whom I met in school; Josh is one of the funniest and most thoughtful people I know, and we just sort of got to know each other through mutual friends; and Ben is Margaret's wonderfully talented fiancé. You can see Paige in a couple of the photos, she's also a former roommate and dear friend, and she was sweet enough to help move some of the furniture in her truck. I don't honestly think this will be the last time we all hang out together, but I know these moments will be few and far between as we all get older and make bigger career decisions. I guess I should just be grateful that we got Ryan back from Slovakia before Margaret moved. Otherwise we'd be missing a vital part of this friend group!

 

Change is inevitable (and healthy), but it's still sad knowing we can't just plan a last minute coffee date any day of the week anymore. I'll also really miss having her around to second shoot at weddings with me. Maybe if I book some weddings in Nashville, we can still work that out! I have several friends in other cities now (even two close girlfriends in Nashville), and I've been able to maintain those friendships through texting, social media, and occasional visits. I don't think it will be any different with Margaret, so I guess the next step is planning my first trip up to see her new apartment. Then the next step is going to Charleston to WATCH HER GET MARRIED! Ben is a truly lucky dude. 

I hope you all enjoyed the photo story! I haven't done anything like that since my photo journalism classes in college, so it was nice to just "document" rather than try to set things up. I hope I didn't annoy everyone too much ;). It will be nice to look back on these and remember that special breakfast. We were all together just doing what we do best: eating, laughing, discussing semi-important things, and making Kelsey uncomfortable with our stories. 

Things to do in 2014

For the past couple of years, I've made a list of things I wanted to do for the year. It's sort of like resolutions, but there is a mix of abstract goals as well as very measurable goals. I did ok in 2012, but to be honest, I kind of stunk in 2013. Despite not doing great with my list, I DID have an awesome year. I am so thankful for all of the opportunities I've had and the growth I've seen with my business in particular. Let's see how I did in 2013:

1. Run a marathon - didn't end up doing this. I'm not disappointed though. It just wasn't in the stars!
2. Do at least 5 personal/fun photoshoots - I only did two
3. Get rid of stuff I don't need - minimize - I've done well with this! My closet is pretty thin, and I don't mind at all
4. Paint the kitchen - this one is going on the list next year. Didn't have time this year. 
5. Be a great wife - Rhett says I accomplished this one :) 
6. Read my Bible regularly - Finished a chronological read through the whole Bible! This was a big accomplishment for me. 
7. Continue to read a book a month - I read all 7 Harry Potter books in about a month, plus the rest of the books I read this year, so I'd say this was successful.
8. Maintain fitness and eat cleaner more clean (eat cleaner sounds like I want to eat Clorox) - check!
9. Decorate the guest rooms - This didn't happen even a little. I just can't get myself motivated!
10. Organize the attic - This is overwhelming, so I never got around to it. 
11. Save Mo $$$ - Did GREAT with this one. Trying to end each month with more money in the bank than the last. It worked out great. 
12. Paint and re-floor studio - DONE! Need to post photos soon. Love my new studio.
13. Make more time for friends - I did well with this! I get together with my friends in other towns almost monthly. I love seeing those ladies. 
14. Keep the house clean - I'm horrible at this. The house isn't filthy, but it isn't great. 

8 out of 14. Meh. At least it's over half! 

1. Pay off car - I did the math and unless some odd circumstances come up, I CAN DO THIS!
2. Clean out shed - There's a lot of junk in there that just needs to be tossed. The rest is storage, but it's not much. I don't need the space, I just hate knowing all that junk is out there crawling with spiders.
3. Shoot my own trash the dress session - this is a maybe. I know I want to do a trash the dress the session, but I'm not 100% that I want it to be a self portrait. We'll see! It'll be a cool session either way. 
4. Make progress on saving for a Canon 5D Mark III - Might take a couple of years to save up, but I'd like to make progress this year. Maybe half the amount. 
5. Run 900 miles - this is VERY lofty. If I really kill it this year, it's doable. Let's hope I don't have any major injuries. 
6. Watch 20 movies in my "1001 Movies to See Before You Die" book
7. Paint the Kitchen - yep, this is here again. It's seriously time. 
8. Maintain good habits - Drinking water, exercising, eating well most of the time.
9. Rebrand business to Kristi Woody Photography - already brainstorming ideas for this one!
10. Read at least a book a month - This is a goal each year and I love it! I've rediscovered my love for reading over the last few years. 
11. Build up product and food portfolio - I did a little of this in 2013, but I'm excited to keep the momentum. 

Like I said before, 2013 was a wonderful year! We got our little puppy companion, Chipper, who has turned out to be such a fun little guy to have around (most of the time...when he's not eating important papers). I started putting a lot more effort into my photography business, and it's really paid off. I've had some truly amazing clients this year and learned so much. I am so thankful for everything God has blessed me with this year, and I'm looking forward to what He has in store for next year! 

I hope you all have had an amazing year as well. I'd love to see what every one else's 2014 goals are, so leave a link in the comments if you blogged a list! Happy New Year!

2013 Christmas Explosion Photo

Sorry if the title was misleading. There's no ACTUAL explosion here, just a metaphorical explosion of Christmas cheer. I talked Rhett into doing a quick picture with me in my studio upstairs. He doesn't really wear his Christmas sweater anymore, but I still adore mine! He tends to like trends until they actually become trends, then he moves on. Of course I had to get Chipper one to match us! Lois at Dragonfly Inspires on Etsy made it special for him, and she did a wonderful job. I haven't let him wear it longer than just a few minutes at a time because I'm afraid he'll eat it. Unfortunately since I was using a remote to take the picture, there was no one behind the camera to get Chipper to look that way. I still got one of me and him where he was doing his cute head tilt though. Isn't he adorable?! The correct answer is, "yes, Kristi, he's beautiful. And you should brush your hair once in a while."

I also grabbed a shot of me and Rhett for our annual Christmas ornament. It actually turned out really cute! Of course we look like the Michelin twins because of our huge sweaters. I promise we haven't gained that much weight over the past year.

If I can talk Rhett into doing this just once a year, I'll consider myself pretty lucky. Anyway, I am getting ready to do my "Things to do in 2014" list so I wanted to go ahead and get my Christmas pictures posted before that. I mean Christmas photos after a New Year post would make NO sense, right? I'll see you guys on the other side!

Starlight Symphony

I can't believe in my 25 years that I have never been to this fantastic event! Each year the Jackson Symphony hosts the Starlight Symphony on the lawn of First Presbyterian Church (i.e. the most beautiful church ever). You can't really see the musicians because there are so many people there, and the close spots are reserved for sponsors. If you get there early enough to get fairly close though, you can hear really well! My cousin and I got there about an hour and a half before the concert started and had a little picnic of sandwiches, grapes and the free ice cream sandwiches from the Bank of Jackson (my bank WOOT WOOT).

It was seriously so much fun. There were people there with canopies, full meals, fine china, wine, the works. We didn't go that far, but the picnic was quite nice. Plus I love hanging out with my cousin, Miranda, when I get a chance! Her fiance lives in Mississippi, so she spends most weekends there. We were also joined by a couple of other friends who had some Thai food that I was seriously wanting to steal.

I will definitely be going back to the Starlight Symphony in the coming years. They played some classic songs, specifically along the patriotic theme this year, but they also played popular tunes like Gotye's "Somebody that I Used To Know." One of the last songs is the 1812 Overture complete with cannons! They are loud, so they scared me the first time. It was so awesome though! I was glad I took a few snaps with my camera, but next year I might try to walk around and get some pictures of the actual symphony.

P.S. I found this AWESOME set of actions via my photographer friend Kristi Montague. You need to check them out and download them. I used Fuji Superia 100 for these.

Summer Conclusion

I can't believe that summer is almost over! Me and Chipper have really enjoyed all of the outside playtime, especially with a little break in the heatwave recently. There was a great little stint of nice breezy weather, and it was glorious. The pictures above are of Chippums chewing on the cow femur he got in his Bark Box, which he LOVED. Now that he has gotten all the flavor off it, I like to put peanut butter inside it for him. 

I can't even deal with this picture. It kills me <3 p="">

His ears do this all the time. My friend Alanna says he can hear better that way. haha! 

My basil and cilantro did really well this year! I was excited about letting the cilantro go to seed, and I've harvested some of the coriander already. It is STRONG so a little goes a long way, but I absolutely love it. Sadly my lettuce is way past done so no more fresh salads.

My sister started school back on Friday, which always seems like the beginning of the end of summer. So sad! In a way I'm excited though, because FALLLLLLLLL! I can't wait to be able to breath again when I go for a run. The humidity makes me feel like I have asthma, and it is pretty miserable. Oh and speaking of nothing related, I just started preparing to remodel my studio upstairs, so I'm excited for that to happen in the next few weeks! I will definitely post a before and after when it's done. I am pulling up carpet, painting and doing some MAJOR reorganization and purging. I'm so stoked about having a clean open space to work in for once.

I hope you all have had a fantastic and productive weekend!