GRATITUDES + BREAKTHROUGHS // April 11, 2017

Gratitudes

The warm weather is here and I’m super excited to see the sun shining, last week before that crazy storm blew through Northern Virginia I had a chance to take the pups on the first long warm walk of the year. It’s so hard sometimes to help Mosby (especially) and Ava expel their energy and really enjoy being a dog outside in the winter. The house that I rent has a farm road that winds through open sod fields with views of the soft rolling mountains. It’s also a treat for me to disconnect and really spend time away from wifi waves. I have been working on getting the two of them used to a double ended leash, it’s been comical at times because I’m not sure if I’m walking them or if they are walking me. Hopefully with a little more practice we will have this down.

Above you’ll see a picture of my very pregnant, very beautiful sister Kellyn. You’ll remember she and her husband were married in October of 2015 and have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of their little girl. I have to be honest, I was really absent-minded for her session. At first I got the days mixed up, and when I went to my parents for my birthday dinner celebration I brought my film camera with two rolls of film for the Nats home opener… but I forgot my digital camera with additional lenses for Kellyn’s portrait session the next morning. Whoops. I ran out and snagged some 35mm film in Stafford to prep for our sunrise session. That morning I woke up, had a cup of coffee and we headed to our favorite spot near my parents house where the blue bells bloom once a year. The first roll of film I noticed wasn’t advancing… turns out I was double exposing all of her shots, errrr awesome! We laughed and I moved on to the next roll, and successfully captured this very special moment in her life. The story of her first pregnancy, her first daughter and her first feels of motherhood.

Saturday I packed up my car and headed north to New Jersey to celebrate my friend Allyson and her upcoming wedding. I don’t often get to go to bridal showers with my schedule blocked for weddings, so this was a treat! Friends and family members gathered to support Allyson and her fiance Jay as they begin to start their lives together. Allyson’s mom went above and beyond creating the menu for the party as well as speciality cocktails. Her martini’s were amazing! A few girls continued the celebration into Sunday with spa appointments for massages and facials. I got my first facial ever and I am hooked. I loved their skin analysis – apparently I need to exfoliate more.

Yesterday I worked at the winery and was delightfully surprised to get tipped, with wine. Part of the reason I ventured out to get a second job was to connect with people. This man’s passion is wine. Two weeks out of every year he travels from Rhode Island down to Virginia to sample wine. He has a map, visits 4 wineries a day and buys 2-3 bottles from each place. Yesterday I got to pour for him. In between pours we stumbled upon a deep conversation about my disdain for oaky Chardonnays and my affection for west coast reds that aren’t too bold. After the tasting he ran out into the car and gifted me a bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon. It was such a kind gesture and totally unexpected. There really is a lot of love and thoughtfulness in the world.

I am still rocking my “Liv” in the Gray from OPI’s Washington DC collection, but plan on making the switch tonight to something a little bit lighter. I’m going with You’re Such A Budapest. I have a soft spot in my heart for light grayed out purples, and this fits that mold. This cream based color is a bright periwinkle. It’s ideal for this warm weather and can ride out through the summer.

Breakthroughs

 I think this is more of a gentle reminder than a breakthrough: being gracious with myself. My daily to-do lists are monstrous. Most people wouldn’t get through them in two days, I keep the list so I can get the satisfaction of checking things off and moving forward. What I have noticed though when I wind down for the day if I don’t check most things off, I feel defeated. This week I was reminded as I was going out of town for the night that all of the laundry didn’t necessary need to be complete, folded and put away. That I also didn’t need to wipe the bathroom down or swap my sheets for clean ones. These are rituals I usually follow when I’m leaving for the weekend so when I arrive home everything is “done.” I didn’t have time this week. I had sessions and errands to run like packing up and dropping the pups off at two different places. At the end of the day there is always something else on my list that will eventually need to get done, I just need to remind myself that every now and then. My value shouldn’t be tied to a completed to-do list.

As always, thanks for reading. xoxo.