October Goal Wrap-Up

Wow! This month flew by! I didn't accomplish as many goals as I wanted to, but I enjoyed myself and that's the most important thing, right? If you missed my October goal post, you can find it here.

Here's my original list...

#1-2 The waking up early thing did not happen, well maybe a couple times, but definitely not regularly. I think I need a new approach. I also don't think I did more yoga, at least not whole sessions. I do find myself practicing various poses while I'm waiting for things and I think that counts. Anybody else do downward dog while they're waiting for the microwave to ding? Randomly plank? Just me? Moving on!

#3 I feel like I've done a good job keeping my shop stocked and am continually excited by my amazing customers! I'll keep it coming! By the way, you can sign up for my newsletter here and I'll be sending out some special deals for the holidays!

#4 I took a little too seriously. I think I read 3 books, including A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin that is particularly massive. I also remembered why I hadn't been reading very much. I get so sucked into the world of fiction and don't get much else done. If you're into series' check out George RR Martin's series. I thought Dance was the last one, but there will be 2 more. I also highly recommend Bossypants by Tina Fey. Hil-ARIOUS!

#5 I've gotten to spend some time with friends this month and I hope to keep it up. I get pretty caught up in my own bubble and it's nice to get out and have some good conversation.

#6 It feels so good to be shooting again! I did some family portraits for some friends that may or may not show up on here. I haven't decided yet. I also took a couple trips out shooting with friends to photograph the fall foliage. I'm glad I didn't put it off. I would've missed some gorgeous colors!

#7 I don't know if I'm getting more comfortable blogging or if I'm more aware of things that I'd like to blog about, but I feel like I'm making progress. Thanks for sticking around. I hope you like what you see so far! Let me know what you think of my new autumn layout!

Finally, I'm down to the wire on #8. I might fit in some baking today, maybe not. But it will happen soon!

What do you think my goals should be for November? Suggestions are welcome!

Lately

Listening to Tristan Prettyman's new album, Cedar and Gold 
TP has a beautiful voice and I've been a fan for many years now. She's really evolved from the surfer girl sound she had on her previous albums and I am loving it! I was a little afraid to give this one a listen because I had heard it was an album written about a breakup. I was pleasantly surprised that this album is about healing and it's wonderful! Very uplifting and doesn't make me want to curl up in a ball and cry! You can listen to the whole album on Tristan's facebook page here. I bought it on iTunes and I can't get enough!

Watching Dancing with the Stars All-Star Season
I have always wanted to learn to ballroom dance! One of these days, I'll get around to it. For now, I'll live vicariously through celebrities. The phenomenal eye candy doesn't hurt either! The problem is that they're all so good this season and I don't know who to root for!

Reading The Paris Wife by Paula McClain
This is a historical fiction novel about Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley. It's told from Hadley's perspective and isn't so much about art and literature as it's about people and relationships. I'm not even a Hemingway fan, but I was intrigued by this book and it turned out to be a really good read. You can buy it here. Although, I downloaded it to my nook from my local library.

Thinking about so much! Too much! I've been thinking about what I want my blog to be and that led me to some deeper thinking about what I want my life to be. All roads for me are beginning and ending with happy. Getting happy. Being happy. Staying happy. Living happy.

That's what's been going on with me lately. What about you guys?

Helpful Tip No. 1

This post can now be found on my current blog here.

Grandpa Dancing Gangnam Style!

This post can now be found on my current blog here.

Vintage Dress + Family Tradition

I thought I'd do a little "Throwback Thursday" on the blog today and share a family tradition. It all started with a sweet yellow dress that was bought for my Mom when she was a baby. My Grandma loved the dress so much that my Aunt wore it when she came along nearly 8 years later.

My Grandma doesn't hold to ANYTHING. She's very "Out with the old and in with the new!" Miraculously, she kept this dress for her granddaughters to wear someday.

My cousin's baby, Rikki, recently became the 10th baby in our family to have her portrait taken while wearing the dress.

Rikki waiting for her photo shoot to start

My Mom's really into digital scrapbooking and she makes beautiful pages like the one below.

Do you have a family tradition that you look forward too? Have you started any new traditions? I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for reading!