march as a busy month. which was awesome and totally unexpected. i never really travel much; as much as i would like to, the opportunity just doesnt present itself very often. but march was full of it, okay well the end of february into march if i’m going to be specific. starting with a mini vacation {becoming a local post} and a wedding {link to wedding in st. martin} and on to a conference with jasmine star in atlanta and time with my mom. it’s been busy. and while as a result, the main thought in the forefront of my mind has continued to be is it nap time the even greater result has been a life full of little things to make it all legen….wait for it……dary! so, in honor of legendary lives, today i’m looking at some of the little things.

the good: famers markets. during my couples weeks of travel travel travel, my mom and i took the day to spend at the largest farmers market i’ve ever seen. you know, after ikea and west elm and h&m of course…cant be in atlanta and not stop there! we parked the car, i walked up to the front and i swear i was giddy. i love farmers markets. fresh flowers, fresh produce, fresh bread…i’m getting a little giddy just talking about it! after a few hours, my mother and i packed up our goodies into her honda and my fresh peonies and i sat happily for the next five hours on the way home, basking in the glow of all things farmers markets.

the bad: not taking photos of said farmers markets. there was a huge sign at the front of the door that said no cameras. and you know, while i can stow away my 5d mark ii in my purse, i couldnt figure out an inconspicuous way of getting photos…so there i was in the mecca of farmers markets and photo-less. stupid rules and my fear of getting in trouble.

the in between: migraines. the fact i didnt outright call migraines the devil {which is true} or categorize them under “the bad” {which is again, true} and call them the bane of my existence {also, true} might have made your jaw drop the floor. and if you get migraines on a regular basis, you might be trying to find my address to hunt me down and slap me. dont get me wrong, i wouldnt wish a migraine on anyone. i also would never ever say that i love getting migraines…like, at all. however, i get a fairly high number of migraines on a fairly regular basis. the thing about migraines is that they suck. but passed the suckage, they force you to cope. they take away your ability to make excuses, they take away just about any capability you have and force you to listen to your body and obey. if there’s a food group you’re missing, if you’re too stressed, if you havent had enough water, if you havent had enough sleep, if you really need to give up holding out on caffeine and drink a cup of coffee, if something’s out of wack, you know it. you cope. you pay attention to your body and place it a cocoon to heal. normally i push myself. i like to think i’m a healthy person but if it comes down to it, i’ll just keep pushing myself until whatever i was after is complete. so yeah, migraines are a reality check, or rather, a body check. you know – into a wall.

dwell in possibility…

second shooting is…well, it’s a horse of a different color. the stress of being the first shooter is gone and while you’re there to help the photographer in any way you can, be the eyes they cant be and make them look like the incredible photographer they are at all times, it’s also a place you can push yourself in a way you cant at your own wedding. try out that angle you’ve always wanted to try, see what the photo looks like with the light cascading in from a different direction. it’s almost like taking away one of your primary senses…suddenly you notice things a little different, with greater intrigue of whats been there all along but you were too focused to notice.

recently i had the opportunity to shoot a wedding with a friend of mine on the little island of st. martin. now, there’s a funny story there…a story of my obliviousness and one of the coolest opportunities i’ve ever had the chance to accept. lauren called me about a second shooter; i listened and agreed saying i was open, wrote the dates down, assured her everything would be fine on my end and that was that, end of call. until, you know, i realized that i had no idea where st. maarten was. at all. for some reason my brain registered it near amelia island {go not paying attention to geography} so i used the all powerful google. and about that time is when my jaw hit the desk. wait, st. maarten….the caribbean?! needless to say, lauren got another phone call shortly after. about a month later, we were on a plane to one of the most incredible little places i’ve ever been.

second shooting is different, distinct, challenging opportunity. but putting your first shooter brain on standby is one of the greatest ways to grow. so while i would love to post a zillion more images from this wedding, head on over to lauren’s blog to see her incredible film images from the day. i promise, you’ll start drooling over all the gorgeous rich detail in this wedding. oh, and before you ask, yes, st. maarten is a mainly french island and no, i didnt pick up an ounce of french. not a bit.

dwell in possibility…

the other night, we spent it on the floor. amidst piles of laundry, water bottles, laptop cords and dryer sheets, we caught up on tv shows online while the sound of the dryer rumbled in the background. you sat, leaned against the wall with ice packs on your legs, the aftermath of one of your crazy crossfit workouts. the heating pad you planned on using functioned as my blanket as i laid on my stomach in front of the laptop. the clothes in the dryer started to clunk around and around as i rolled to my back and looked up at you, the light from the laptop flickering across your face. you smiled that smile that starts with your green eyes twinkling and kissed my forehead…your oh-so-loath-some-beard tickled my skin.

we have a perfectly good couch, away from the piles of folded shirts and socks. its comfortable and full of blankets and throw pillows. we have a cable that puts what we watch from the laptop up on the tv, away from the sounds of the dryer. the show we were watching would have looked ten times better actually on the tv. but there, on the carpet, dryer sheets sticking to your icy legs, three loads of laundry in various stages of being folded, and the heating pad keeping me warm, there felt like home; there i felt whole.

my dearest andrew, this past week has been crazy. the busyness has swept away the majority of our time together. i love our life together, busyness and all, but on weeks when life becomes crazy, phone calls in the middle of the day cover  the majority of our conversation time and the extent of dinner is a pizza, i remember the nights spent on the carpet in front of the laptop, listening to the dryer…when together, our life is made whole.

i’m terrified of spiders. terrified…unless its a jumping spider, which my dad made me think were some sort of tiny little best friend that can jump when i was little. but still…terrified. super super terrified. the other morning,  i decided to get up early a go to the gym before andrew and i relaxed for the day. half asleep, i walked through the early morning fog to the gym. i started noticing these glistening dewy little bits of lace standing out amidst the hazy morning. knowing full well they were spider webs, my first thoughts were along the lines of the following: holy crap there are so many spiders out here! where do they all go during the day? and instantly i felt a little tingly and wanted to run the rest of the way.

but instead of running, i managed to slowly creep my way as close as i dared. i wanted to see the dew clinging to the shimmering net, something about it reminded me of charlottes web. and while i leaned in, stretching my arm closer and closer for a good photo, the fear took over and that itchy tingly feeling i was ignoring, well, lets just say i did that “oh my gosh there’s a spider” dance that brings shame to the female demographic…and around that point, that’s when i ran the rest of the way.

dwell in possibility…

in january i stated noticing a hashtag on twitter. i’d seen it before but i hadnt paid it too much attention. but in january, i noticed that people were posting specific photos every day with the hashtag #janphotoaday. being that i have to have everything in order and done properly if at all possible, i decided to wait until february to start the project myself. originally i started with the anticipation that it would help me to see mundane things a bit more creatively – to take something simple and get a unique photo of it. i must admit, i didnt put as much creativity or thought into these photos as i had originally wanted to, but there’s always another month…and another month…and another…so, while i didnt get all artsy fartsy on myself, it did show a neat little window in my life through a strange list of photos. if you want to join me for march, head over to my instagram, find the hashtag #marchphotoaday and get started.

dwell in possibility…

facebook. she logged in under her student email address, entered her password and created a new message. carefully selecting her words, formulating cute sentences that wouldnt be misconstrued. messages went back and forth, her pulse quickening a bit with each new message that appeared and a smile spread across her face as a lunch date was set. at lunch, over laughs and conversation, they became inseparable.

jacquelyn and clay fell madly, head over heels in love; being apart almost painful, as if a piece of the other was missing. as their love grew, as he watched her blue eyes dance when the corners of her lips curled up into a smile at the sight of his face, clay knew that this was forever, that his jacquelyn was cherished, loved, and desired…and that he never wanted to be without her. at a winery, after a full day of amazing foods, cooking classes, wine tastings and flirting glances, he laced his fingers with hers and asked to go for a walk. little did jacquelyn know that walk would lead to her future, the man she loved asking her to be his, promising to be hers forever and always.

dwell in possibility…

the ceremonial burying of the pen…it doesnt happen too often but since i’m a bit ocd, i write with one pen in the same journal until that pen dies or the journal is complete. usually, the pen can make it to the end of the journal…usually. actually, i’m pretty sure i’ve always made it through the end of my journal with the pen in tact. however this time, this time the pen gave out on me.

i’ve had the same pen since 2010, writing in the same leather journal, page after page. fears, thoughts, dreams and goals, memories, recipes, prayers, and my times with the Lord. but today, today that pen quit on me. four pages shy of the end of my journal.

dwell in possibility…

my first thought was the color. the color most photograph beautifully! lauren and i peered out the window as the flight landed. there we were, on a tiny little island armed with cameras and a whole amazing island just waiting to be photographed.  but amidst it all, i forced lauren to the front of the lens, per her mother’s request…and we all know, you always keep your momma happy!

lauren amazes me and shoots with film. i love the raw factor that film has…i started photography with film but as soon as i was able, made the switch to digital. i didnt have the patience or the drive for film but laurne, she totally does. her passion is film and it shows. her images digital or film are so full of life and emotion and movement.  

there’s still one more amazing post from st. maarten left for me to share. it’s full of photos from the day lauren and i explored, but first, i needed to show lauren’s momma that i obeyed and her beautiful confident daughter stood on a beach in the carribean and smiled in front of the lens for a moment before returning to her work, her business and her passion.

dwell in possibility…

my ruby red heels sparkled as i walked down the hallway. the sound of the heel clicking against the hardwood floor was the only thing keep my breathing steady *click click* breathe in steadily cassie. *click click* exhale, now why are you so nervous? my nerves and i stood against a wall away from the few groups of people that were forming. i tweeted my shoes and stared at the floor, my eyes occasionally darting up to look around the room of people just like me here to listen to someone they admire.

photo from jasmine star’s the fix

she startled me really. she came out of no where, or rather, i was completely unaware, settling into my own little world until her hello brought me back to reality. as she asked me where i was from and what sort of photography i did, my first thought was how incredible her blue green eyes were. we chatted about our lives, bits of information here and there as i slowly detached myself from the corner i was hugging, but her excited attitude, her fun personality, they brought me back to reality and kept me anchored there for the remainder of the evening.

photo from jasmine star’s the fix

the following two photos are the only photos i took from the evening. i have a tendency to become wallpaper in large groups, hence the corner hugging. i sit in the back, i dont initiate conversation. i like to watch. i like to observe. i like to take it all in and think and journal. when i took my camera out, suddenly all i was thinking about was getting a better angle, was getting my settings right to reflect the lighting that was in the room, to get the feel of the evening through a photo. i took two frames and realized that if i didnt put my camera away, i’d run the risk of missing the entire evening. i wouldnt talk. i wouldnt learn. i wouldnt grow. i would sit behind my camera, comfortable.

i watched her from across the room fighting feeling like a groupy. this woman spoke to my soul. her writings, her unconventional way of doing things… i stood in line to say hello, to snap a photo, to try not to sound like some star struck tween meeting robert pattinson. i tried to formulate my thoughts to sound as meaningful to her as they were to me, to express to her the fullness of what she has meant to my business. but my words fell flat.

the fix, with jasmine star. i listened to her answer question after question, my admiration and respect only growing. saying that it was inspirational sounds super lame and a bit self help ish. but regardless, my inspiration grew, my ideas flourished, i felt like i could actually do the things i’d set out to do. as a small group of us spoke with her husband, heard his love for her and how proud and incredibly awed he is of her, i realized it takes a team, a support system…one that i have. i have the tools, i have the inspiration, i have the desire, the drive. so while it may seem super lame or self help ish, sometime you need a reminder that you can do it and to meet new people who remind you that youre not alone.

dwell in possibility…

it was like muscle memory. i picked up one book and just could stop. suddenly, there were so many books i wanted to read, so many things i wanted to learn about. so i started with a list. january, three down, february, another four…i read one in an afternoon, one at the gym on the stationary bike, starting another as andrew crawled into bed. garland snuggled in next to us and soon, andrew’s breathing became steady and the last of his twitching subsided and i knew he was dead to the world, i flipped on my reading light and fell into another world until the early hours of the morning.

the hunger games, catching fire, mockingjay by suzanne collins i’m one of those people that like the books. for the most part, any book turned movie, i ere on the side of the book. my brother in law mentioned the hunger games to me a few years ago but i never took the time to read them, having no idea what they were about. when commercials began being teased of the hunger games, suddenly i remembered, i’d wanted to read those! two full days of reading later, they were complete. now, i wont ruin the story for anyone heading out to see the movie in the next few weeks or those of you still reading but even as the books came to an end, i never picked a side. i had thought by the end of the movie i could have chosen one, but here i remain, sideless {making up new words now} and looking forward to the movie…even if only to annoy andrew with all the ways the movie is flawed in comparison!

the art of possibility by rosamund stone zander and benjamin zander i’m not going to lie, i picked up this book due to the happy yellow color on the cover and the word possibility. i was wandering through the business section i wasnt even sure what i was looking for and when i started the book, i realized that was a good thing. sometimes reading a book with zero expectations causes you to glean the most from it. i wouldnt necessarily classify this book as a self help book but rather an invitation to see your world differently, to look outside of your assumptions, outside of your box, and challenge yourself with possibility. now, whenever i read a book like this, i take a pen to the pages. because while authors present amazing ideas and new ways of thinking for your business and your life, my Author has written a far more amazing story. so when zen like ideas are introduced or thoughts on overcoming any obstacle, i remember my Jesus and what’s said in His book, the laws, the promises, the hope and the love.

my books for march are already stacked on my nightstand. andrew eyed them wearily when i brought the stack into the room. he didnt say anything, knowing how quickly i inhale written word. i picked one up and threw it on the bed to read first, then returned it back to the stack and pulled out another instead. that one was returned to the stack a few moments later as i couldnt decide which book to read first. it’s like muscle memory…once you get it started again, you dont want to stop.

dwell in possibility…