Get to Know Us

Hey guys – it’s been a while since I blogged – because in January, we welcomed our twin babies into the world! They are playing on their play mat right now, so I thought I might have a few minutes to share our cute gender reveal from way back when.

In true hot-mess-mom fashion, I envisioned this quick little DIY photoshoot for several days, and then when it came time to put it together, everything went wrong. But, it worked out fine and we got the super cute little twin gender reveal photos I had been dreaming of 🙂

I had purchased the jumbo balloons at Party City and the cute little booties at Target the day after we found out we were having a boy and a girl at our Perinatologist appointment. A few days later, our regular OBGYN confirmed there is a boy and a girl up in mah belly, so that evening, we stopped at Safeway to get the balloons inflated. The Safeway employee had no idea how to inflate a jumbo balloon (after waiting 20 minutes for her to blow up some regular balloons for a customer ahead of us), so off to Smith’s we went, where it took another 15 minutes to get these dang balloons inflated….and of course they were only partially inflated…ugh! The frustrating part is that the light was fading fast because we were trying to do this little shoot after Matt got off work.

BUT – we rushed back home and caught the VERY last little bit of my favorite kind of light (about an hour before sunset), and had literally FIFTEEN minutes to do this before we had to pick up our youngest at pre-school. PHEW. Ben clicked the shutter for the photos of me and Matt together, and bam – here is our twin gender reveal!

We were absolutely thrilled to be having a boy and a girl. It’s my dream combo. It’s still very surreal to me that we even had twins – and now I get a little girl to share my Hello Kitty/My Little Pony/Sailor Moon obsessions with – YAY! I’m also extremely excited that we had another boy, because as I know from raising my step son, Ben, and my son, Cooper – boys are a ton of fun and bring an amazing sense of adventure to every day life.

I couldn’t wait to meet them and learn about their individual personalities. And now that they are here, we are having so much fun (as hard as it is). I love my sweet babies so much. Stay tuned…I’ll post pictures of them soon, too.

Well, it’s about time that I update my blog with some personal news! Although…incredibly late. I am 32 weeks pregnant with TWINS. You may have noticed me mention my twins a few times in my recent posts, but I never made an official announcement on the blog. So here it is! This is me, my hubby and my then-2-year-old showing off our twin ultrasound when I was about 14 weeks along.

It’s hard to believe that, at the time, I didn’t know my babies’ genders. Now, we almost have our nursery ready and we are picking names. Time flies!

Needless to say, we are extremely excited to meet our babies at the end of January. It’s going to be a wild ride!

Even when I really don’t want to, I make sure to step in front of the camera to be pictured with my kids. Well, kid, because my pre-teen stepson is very anti-photo right now. I look at these and I think – “ugh…I looked so bloated and fat that day. My makeup sucked. My face is so dry. Why did I mix floral with stripes?! I should  have stuck my chin out more.” But I know that when my son sees these photos, all he see is his Mommy. And he thinks I’m “so beautiful” – his words, not mine. So I do it for him. I show myself to the world because he is my world.

When I meet with women to show them their family, engagement, boudoir photos etc, I hear them being their own worst critic, where I see a beautiful portrait of a woman. Let’s love ourselves a little more and hush that very harsh critic within our heads, huh? We deserve it.

As we’re all getting ready to welcome 2017, I’m reflecting on the last year and thinking forward…dreaming of my 2017 goals and what I want the year to hold in store for me and my family.

Before I say another word, I want to extend a truly heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who allowed me to take part in their lives this year through photography – whether for a wedding or portrait session! And of course THANK YOU to everyone who trusted me with creating photography for you in the past – it’s all led me to this point now, and I can’t thank you all enough.

Reflecting on the Year Gone by

2016 was a total rush. It’s only been since the end of February that I re-branded my business to Fifth and Chestnut as you see it today. And I have never been so busy as I was this year!

Last year, I was still recuperating from maternity leave, and I was feeling a bit of that this year due to my re-brand with not as many weddings as I prefer to book. It was kind of a bummer in April when I realized that I was going to probably only shoot about half of what I try to book. But then, I opened my studio in May!

Opening a Photo Studio

Going from the overhead costs of working from home to the overhead costs of running a full-fledged photography studio with premium rent in Downtown Reno was a huge risk. I took a leap of faith with my two friends and studio-mates, who have become essential members of my tribe.

It was a scary (but exciting) change for my business. Luckily, my portrait bookings more than doubled with the opening of my photography studio. It all evened out in the end and 2016 was my most successful year since picking up a camera eight years ago!

Getting our keys to the studio was definitely one of 2016’s memorable moments.

The studio has really been a game changer for me. The studio along with the re-brand have been the best decisions I’ve ever made for my business. I’ve been so, so, so busy…like I always dreamed I would be as a professional photographer, and it’s because of these risky business decisions I made in 2016.

2016’s Personal Achievements

2016 was also a fantastic year for hitting some serious personal goals. In March, I committed to eating healthy and losing weight. I worked hard and by September, I had lost 25 pounds. Yay!

I felt amazing and started to enjoy the skin I’m in again. I had more energy and felt like I was REALLY close to hitting my ideal weight.

I also became SO overwhelmingly busy by September, that I needed a consistent schedule for daycare for my youngest son. So, we started him in preschool where I could have set “work days,” and I could work late on days when it was needed. It was a an insanely difficult decision to let our amazing nanny go and switch Cooper to the preschool life. He isn’t home anymore as I edit, and I can’t simply go downstairs and kiss his sweet face whenever I want. But I am far more focused on my work during the three days he is in school, which has helped me become very productive.

When Work Started Colliding with my Personal Goals

Amidst all  the success and busy-ness, I quickly started to lose sight of my personal goals. My photoshoots scheduled right before sunset, plus pre-photoshoot meetings and post-5pm meetings, combined with my stepson’s intense taekwondo schedule, turned our lives into a constant rush. Go go go.

My family would usually convene at home around 8pm. We stopped eating healthy meals at home and started eating out a ton again. As I write this (after Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, of course) I have gained back 10 of my precious 25 pounds that I had so proudly shed. Boo!

From September (at least) until the day before Christmas, I had been spending EVERY free moment answering emails, editing sessions and doing the overabundance of “behind the scenes” tasks that keep my business running when I wasn’t out there shooting.

And I sit and struggle because OH MY GOD, I love photography and I love running my business, but where is my personal life?!

All that being said, I realize that what I was missing in my life in 2016 was simply a life-work balance. And honestly, it’s been missing from EVERY year since the moment I picked up a camera. I’ve always been doing way too much. Always working overtime when I had full-time jobs, and then going home and working on freelance projects and/or photography to keep my soul fed. Always carrying so much weight on my back and never focusing on myself.

In November, during the amazing madness that is holiday portrait season (which I am so thankful for, don’t get me wrong), I didn’t even take my son’s 2-year photos. And I only JUST NOW realized it! <<insert crying emoji here>>

DANG!

It’s been like trying to bloom as a flower under a constant barrage of hailstorms. I want to get to this “perfect” point SO BAD, but it’s just never within my reach. I want to be out doing photoshoots, and on my computer editing my beautiful photos AND eat a healthy dinner AND spend an afternoon just playing with my youngest son without the anxiety of having too much to possibly take care of without staying up until 2am every morning.

Thinking ahead to 2017

My main goals for 2017 are very simple.

One. Adjust my studio policies to allow me the time to enjoy life and actually hit my other personal goals…to enjoy my time with my children without feeling this nagging urge to run into my office and put in over 40 hours of work per week. This will mean increasing my efficiency and productivity, and limiting my post-5pm appointments. I know makes it a little more difficult for some clients to see me for their ordering appointments. I hope that my amazing clients will stick with me and understand that I, too, would like to eat dinner with my family in the evenings, lol! And preferably not Taco Bell ALL. THE. TIME.

Two. Re-group and get back on track to hitting my goal weight by eating healthy and exercising (see: no more Taco Bell). I’ve struggled with my weight for my WHOLE life, and it would be really nice to feel comfortable in my own skin again.

Three. Wean myself from wearing makeup except for special occasions. It’s so sad to me that I don’t like my own face unless I’m “done up.” Like…what the heck happened to our society where I have been led to feel this way about my own face? I want to strip away the chemicals and things that cover up my ACTUAL face, and learn to love the face I was born with..freckles, scars, wrinkles and all.

And that’s all, folks! Of course, I do have other specific goals…like getting new studio lighting, for example, and buying the Sigma 35mm Art Series lens that I’ve wanted for a while, or hitting certain marketing goals etc. But the three goals above are the things that will add enjoyment and happiness back into my life. Those are the things that must be achieved for me to do anything else happily. After all, how awesome is a new lens if I am drowning in work and not spending any time with my toddler, stepson and husband?

I hope that 2017 is even more successful than 2016 for Fifth and Chestnut, but I also hope it can be that way AND allow me to be a happy, balanced person at the same time.

Now, tell me what YOUR goals are for 2017? My stepson says his goal is to beat some Pokemon video game. Oh, to be eleven.

Cheers to 2017!! No matter what your goals are for the new year (or if you’re totally cool without proclaiming any particular goals), may your year be filled with beauty and joy!

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite photos from 2016 – my kids having fun 🙂

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I was so excited to be invited to photograph the Hume family in Apple Hill, and since it’s a 2.5-hour (115+ mile) trip from Reno, I decided it would be a lovely chance to introduce my own family to Apple Hill as well. We had never been, and it was SO MUCH FUN to go for our first time! We took some pictures at Pine O’ Mine after the Hume’s family portraits were done, and luckily Cooper cooperated with me even though we were all running low on fumes. Ben, however, didn’t want to change out of his sweatpants, so we mostly took photos of him a few farms over.

We ate a ton of candy and apple goodies, and had a really great day together…and I also got to do what I LOVE (photography, of course) at a new spot that I came to love in like 2.4 seconds within arriving!

Our Day at Apple Hill

As usual, we left extremely later than we planned on, so we arrived at Apple Hill right at lunch time, and proceeded to go to the Fudge Factory Farm (after parking at High Hill Farm) and buy candy instead of lunch. Good for my diet, I know.

We wanted to do a pony ride for Cooper, but the line was long and we had to get to Pine O’ Mine so I could scout photo spots and make sure we knew where it was. After we found Pine O’ Mine and I saw how darling it is, we went back towards High Hill Farm and stopped at Boa Vista and guzzled apple cider and chowed down on BBQ chicken sandwiches, tri-tip and hot dogs…Cooper had yogurt and fruit that we had packed for him.

Then it was back to Pine O’ Mine for the most adorable photo session of the Hume Family while Matt and our boys picked apples right out of the trees (so fun!), and afterward, I took some photos super duper fast of Cooper…since Ben didn’t want to get changed out of his sweatpants.

After approximately 18 photos of Cooper were snapped quickly, we drove off toward Placerville to see what other cute little spots there are at Apple Hill, and we stumbled across Bluestone Meadow, which had a little haunted house set up…and a dinosaur crossing. It was the perfect place to stop with kids…and it was FREE!

In search of one last set of goodies before leaving Apple Hill and getting dinner, we stopped at Abel’s Acres and missed being able to do their maze by 4 minutes…but we bought some candy apples (and almost a GIANT metal chicken…long story and inside joke, so I will spare you), and went on our way.

As it was approaching 6pm and all the orchard’s actvities were closed down for the day, we tried to go to the Boeger Winery in hopes of finding food…precious, precious food. Unfortunately, it was closed and we were left with only a view of rolling hills of grapes…on and on into the distance. It was a beautiful scene, but next time, I am going to that winery, dammit!

First Time Apple Hill Advice

If it’s your first time visiting Apple Hill, I have a little bit of advice for you as someone who recently went for the first time as well!

1) If you’re traveling from far away like we are (2+ hours), LEAVE EARLY, stop and EAT LUNCH either before you arrive (stop in Placerville) or first thing when you get there (depending on which direction you’re traveling from).

2) Prepare to stand in long lines for the activities (hay rides etc) and to purchase goods. Oh and again, leave early to get there.

3) Download the Apple Hill app and research all the orchards/shops etc and come up with a game plan of the places you want to see, and in what order!

4) In your game plan, plan meals! In fact – bringing a picnic lunch is what we are going to do next time. Then we can save our money for fudge and apple donuts (which we didn’t manage to find in our short time at Apple Hill…bummer)!

5) Definitely make time to at least stop by the Boeger Winery. The architecture and view is incredible.