valentine's day for married people...

Valentine's day is different when you are married. It just is.

You're settled in. Expectations change. Things get comfortable. It's that unique state of complacency and contentment in your relationship.

If you are married... your Valentine's Day might have looked a little something like this...

1) You booked your Valentine's date two days before February 14th... just so you wouldn't have to fight the crowds.

2) Your conversation on the way to dinner was about flossing... no, seriously, it was.

3) Your Valentine's gift to him was a pillow... yes... a pillow.

4) His Valentine's gift to you was an iPhone case.

5) You are still madly in love with each other... despite items 1-4.

Which is really a little something like this...

1) You booked your Valentine's date two days before February 14th... just so he could take you to one of Louisville's finest restaurants.

2) Your conversation on the way to dinner was about flossing... and how much you love his smile.

3) Your Valentine's gift to him was a pillow {but a flippin' awesome pillow}... and a really sweet box full of love letters, pictures and mementos that tell the story of your relationship.

4) His Valentine's gift to you was an iPhone case... {a really cute houndstooth one} and a heart-shapped cookie cake... all of which he bought with his hard earned tip money from his new job.

5) You are still madly in love with each other... because of items 1-4.

Marriage... that beautiful mix of complacency and contentment.

11 in 2011 :: most looking forward to...

Today is the last day of Kit and MJ's "11 in 2011"... so I figured I'd link up one more time. This was a great idea... only wish I could have joined in more. Is it just me, or does everything still seem to be in overdrive from the holidays??

Regardless... here is what I am most looking forward to in 2011...

1) Duh. Our Alaskan cruise. Which I totally already mentioned in this post... but this is definitely one of the coolest things we are doing this year.

2) Photographing weddings. There is something so magical about capturing someone's special day. One of the goals on my 30 by 30 list was to photograph my first wedding... I ended up having photographing 2 in 2010, and so far, I have 3 on the books for this year... all which will be stunning.

3) Standing by my little sister on her wedding day. This is one wedding that will be extra-super special. I won't be capturing this one through a camera lens... as I will be busy holding the bouquet, straightening the bride's dress, making sure the bride gets a snack, and probably crying. It will be fabulous.

4) The Kentucky Derby. I'm not sure if I will actually be attending the big race, as tickets are pretty tough (and expensive) to come by... but I will definitely be soaking up all the derby day atmosphere that saturates Louisville in the weeks before the event.

5) Turning the big three-oh. Yep. 30. Okay, okay... so I'm not actually excited about this monumental event... but I figured I might as well embrace it. It's coming, whether I like it or not. And to be honest, my 30 by 30 list has made turning 30 seem more like an adventure, rather than the end of the world.

11 in 2011 :: places i hope to go

Kit over at A Step into My Life has been doing a great little segment for the first 11 days of 2011... "11 in 2011" if you will. And yes, I do realize that today is the 5th, and I have in fact missed out on days 1-4... and more than likely, I will miss out on a few more days before the 11th... but I thought today was a fabulous day to join in the fun.

Because day 5 of "11 in 2011" is... places you hope to go this year... I am all over this one my friends....



Alaskan Cruise. I mean seriously... how awesome, right? Well, I am going. In July. We are celebrating my parents 35th wedding anniversary in style this year. There will be a nice little group of us... family from both my mom's and my dad's side... and Lance's mom and her husband are going too. Cannot wait. If I didn't leave my house for the rest of the year and this was the only cool thing I did for all of 2011, I would be totally okay with this.



Vancouver. As a result of the above trip, Lance and I will get to spend 2 days in Vancouver before our cruise ship docks out. I'm totally stoked about this as well. I've never been anywhere in Canada and I'm looking forward to my first visit.



Chicago. This has to happen. It's on my 30 by 30 list, and I've always wanted to visit The Windy City. I'm not entirely far away now that we are living in Louisville... and I have an awesome girlfriend that has been making frequent Chicago-trips lately... hoping to match my schedule to hers...



New York. I have another awesome friend that just recently moved to New York for a few months. I am definitely hoping to make a trip up to see her. I have been to New York a couple of times... but this city never gets old. Always something to do... something to see. Would love to catch a musical this go around... Wicked, perhaps?



College Station. Okay, okay... so this destination doesn't have all the frills and flare of the above locations... but I am just as excited about this trip. I was asked to photograph the Women's Masterpiece Conference in March... which I am obviously ecstatic about... but even more so, I'm looking forward to the conference itself. The Masterpiece Conference is a weekend devoted to helping young women know who Christ is, who they are in Christ, and how they can use the gifts God has given them. It should be an amazing weekend.


Head on over here or here to link up with all the "11 in 2011" fun.

i resolve to...

This year I resolve to do five simple things... (If you're wondering why they all start with the word "delight"... then read here).

1) Delight in the Lord.

Spending time with the Lord is always at the top of my list... but I want to delight in it. I want to long for it. I want to crave it. Lance and I recently bought some new Bibles... they are awesome. They have a reading plan in the front, wide margins for note taking, and amazing study notes. The plan is to read/study a portion together and another on our own. I am really looking forward to this.

2) Delight in being healthy.

As in... move more, eat less. I know this is a pretty standard resolution for so many of us, that often times it seems to just get lost in the abyss. (Did you ever wonder where all those people disappear to at the gym come February?) The plan here is to eat more fruits & veggies. Keep them in the house... available... as easy to reach as those cookies (well, easier to reach, I guess). I haven't quite settled on the action plan for the exercise portion of this goal... but basically to move more. Do something... run... walk... play volleyball... lift weights... something... anything.

3) Delight in commitment.

This is a two-part resolution... Part one: Finish my 30 by 30 list. Only 5 months to go until the big 3-oh. I really want to finish that list. Part two: Commit to straight teeth. Need more explanation?? Well, about a year ago I started Invisalign. You know... the clear-braces-kind-of-thing. It's basically trays that you wear that help straighten your smile. Well... I did really great at this... at first. Then I kind of stopped wearing them all together. I have about 3 months left... and I need to suck it up and wear my trays... (uhhh, I mean, I need to delight in wearing my trays). I paid a pretty penny for those things.

4) Delight in reading.

This is another one that seems to be on my list almost every year. You would think it wouldn't be so hard. I enjoy reading. Really, I do. It's just that I don't seem to make much time for it. My plan here is to read before I go to bed... even if it is just one page. It may not happen every night... but I'm shooting for 3 nights a week of just a little bit of reading. I have a book list brewing in my head already...

5) Delight in memory making.

This resolution is another two-parter... Part one: actually make memories. Do things that are worthy of remembering... Part two: Document those memories. Write them down... photograph them... store them... you get the picture.

What are your resolving to do this year??

top five :: fall TV

In last week's Thankful Thursday post, I gave a little shout out to the thrill of Fall television. And as promised, I have a Top Five list for my favorite shows... {I could probably create a Top Five list for just about anything}

1) How I Met Your Mother. I love everything about this show. Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) literally makes me pee in my pants. The producers of this show brilliantly combine humor for married couples and singles.

2) Big Bang Theory. I was hesitant about this show in the beginning, but it didn't take long to win me over. With it's geeky humor and hilarious characters, this show has me hooked. Bazinga.

3) The Office. How can you not love The Office?? I mean, really... for anyone that has ever worked in any type of office environment can surely appreciate the awkward humor of Michael Scott (Steve Carell).

4) Glee. I knew I would love this one from the very moment I saw it advertised with the Journey cover song. Being in a high school show choir myself, I'm all for television that randomly breaks into song and dance for no apparent reason. And Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) is funny enough to keep Lance in the room.

5) NCIS. Just in case you thought I only watched comedies and musical sitcoms... This drama always sucks me in, and I can appreciate a show that is resolved within the hour. No waiting until next week (or next season) to see what happens.

the closet-clothes-swap

My sister is brilliant. She really is. A closet-clothes-swap... I mean, how genius, right?

So, this is how it works. Said sister goes through her closet in Birmingham, AL for any clothes that she still likes (doesn't want to give away), but doesn't necessarily wear that often. Then I do the same... scouring my own closet in Louisville, KY, following the same guidelines. Every 2-3 months, when one of us visits the other, we will exchange our piles of clothing.

The swap works beautifully for us. Our tastes are so similar, but what we purchase is usually so different. Jenna is the queen of basics... her closet overflows with whites, blacks, and greys... with the occasional navy blue if she's feeling adventurous. My closet, on the other hand is a collection of greens, yellows, pinks, and purples. But see, we both wish for the other when we are dressing. A bright pink shirt usually looks best with black pants... and a plain white tank is adorable with a cute floral skirt. My colors need basics... and Jenna's basics need color. Hence, the closet-clothes-swap.

Jenna's swap pile...

Julia's swap pile...

I am pleased to say that the first-ever closet-clothes-swap was a huge success.


Top 5 :: Tips to Successful Closet-Clothes-Swapping...

1) Swap items you would actually still wear. This is not for your donations.

2) Include at least one fun belt, purse or scarf in your swap pile.

3) Don't swap clothes that you know might be too small for the other sister (ie, Julia) to ensure that you don't send them into a deep depression where they go out and buy a gallon of ice cream.

4) Be sure to agree before-hand on the number of items that will be swapped.

5) If you don't miss it when it's gone, donate it when it comes back.

top 5 :: lessons learned from dave...

1) The more tie-dye, the better. I think all the tie-dye might have damaged my vision... seriously. Bright colored swirls everywhere.

2) Inhale through your nose. If you breathe through your mouth, you are bound to swallow large gulps of marijuana smoke.

3) Always pack extra snacks. My $6 burger and $6 drink.... not so great. Besides, if you didn't follow rule #2 above, you will probably have the munchies.

4) Prepare yourself for an oversized fraternity party. The crowd was not lacking in frat boys... lots of North Face apparel, corn hole games, and beer.

5) Put tracking devices on drunk people. The large quantity of passed out drunkards was worrisome... Where are their friends? And why was no one looking for them?

top 5 :: things that annoy me

5) Laughing Imposters: (noun) someone who forces a loud, false chuckle or cackle. This is often done solely to fool the people around them into thinking they are having a good time.

4) The Singing Salute: (verb) to express a greeting or salutation by a change in pitch. The singing salute is often performed by a very chipper, morning person.

3) Word Repeaters: (noun) one that relates or recites the same word or phrase multiple times. The offender will recite the phrase a minimum of three times. (example: "right... right... right...")

2) Line Gappers: (noun) someone that pauses too generously before moving up in the queue. Line gappers are typically found in post office lines and grocery store lines, but some offenders have been reported in drive-through lines as well.

and finally... the number one thing that annoys me...

1) VIP Bluetoothers: (noun) one that uses a hands-free device to inflate their ego. Typically the VIP Bluetoother discusses a very important business deal, at a high volume, in order to announce their prestige. Offenders are most frequently found pacing the lobby of a restaurant or at the gate of an airport.