In the midst of it all - February Self-Portrait

In October of 2012, my husband and I closed on a house that we waited on for 6 months. We moved in and tried to make it feel like home, all while preparing to move to China. When we started the process of purchasing a home, we had no idea that we would be moving to China and we made the decision just before moving in to our home. We never really got the chance to enjoy it before we left the country.

This month we spent preparing for the opportunity to move back into our home, after over a year of being back in the U.S. It has been a rough month, as we found out that moving back into our house would be more costly than we anticipated. My husband and I have been putting in lots of extra work to deal with the unexpected expenses. It has been rather crazy, and times of reflection come few and far between.

So, we come to my February self-portrait. We moved all of our stuff out of our storage unit and into our home. Unfortunately, because of our schedules, we will not get to do a real thorough cleaning and get the house in shape for a couple of weeks. My portrait follows a day of moving everything from one place to another. After seeing all of our possessions piled up inside our home, it was nice to take just a moment to reflect on all of the changes going on in our lives. 

I have some photo jobs coming up soon that I cannot wait to share with you!

New Year, New Me? - January Self-Portrait

Hello Lovelies!

Here we are at the end of the first month of a new year. Most of us entered the new year with great plans and expectations, and at the end of the first month, we can already tell a bit if those plans and expectations are realistic. I personally set goals to take better care of myself, make significant strides in my business, and to improve my relationships with others.

My self-portrait this month is a great picture of where I am at and how I feel about my first month of a new year. In the last month, I have been doing my best to keep up with the goals I have set for myself. However, so many things have kept me busier than I ever expected. This portrait is a representation of me doing my best to enjoy moments of rest when they come. I much prefer everything to be exactly as I want it. However, even in this picture, things are not quite as perfect as I would like them to be. I am learning to accept imperfections and grow from them. Also, for the next month, we are house-sitting for friends in New Port Richey, where this picture was taken.  Although I will be splitting my time between Tampa and New Port Richey, this opportunity will give Justin and I time to rest and think outside of our usual surroundings.

So much uncertainty lies ahead, but in a season such as this, the opportunity to learn and grow is ever-present.

Christmas Time is Here - December Self-Portrait

I LOVE this time of year!! I love Christmas music, cheesy Christmas movies, food (and sweets), and time with family. Last year for Christmas, my parents graciously bought us fun passes for Busch Gardens, where you pay one day and visit for a year. Unfortunately, we have been so busy this year, we have only been able to visit a few times. We wanted to be sure to at least get one last use out of them before they expired. So, Justin and I went with my sister and her boyfriend to Christmas Town to enjoy the lights and festivities. I LOVE lights at night and all the fun things that illumination can do in the dark. My self-portrait is my sister and I playing amongst some fun paper lanterns and laser lights!

Fall Fantasy - November Self-Portrait

November is one of my most favorite months of the year. Justin and I chose to have our wedding in November four years ago because we are both obsessed with fall and all it brings. Unfortunately, in Florida, we don't quite get the cool weather and beautiful colors we look forward to. We made a commitment that no matter what is happening in our lives each year, that we would make a point to get away at least one day sometime in the month of our anniversary. We have been so blessed this far to spend a few days away every year, but we know that will not always be the case. We got to visit Nashville together this year. We enjoyed beautiful weather and lots of exploring together. We had the pleasure of strolling through Centennial Park and seeing the last of the fall colors clinging to the trees. My self-portrait this month was taken there and I feel a bit like a hippy-esque princess!

The Bingham Family - Lake Lure, NC

For Thanksgiving, my family and I went to Lake Lure, NC for the weekend. We suspected that we would have some beautiful scenery and could take some new family photos. My family is a little goofy, so some of the shots took a little work, but I think we got some fun and beautiful shots. Below are a few of my favorites.

Leaves courtesy of Justin

Courtney and Dad laughing because Courtney was tickling Dad to get him to smile.

Florida girls playing in fall leaves

Sisters

Alyssa - Dance Portraits - Ybor City

I had the chance to do some photos with a beautiful dancer, Alyssa. As you may or may not know, I grew up dancing and work at a dance studio as well. Alyssa is a dancer I have known since she was a little ballerina and have seen her grow into a fantastic dancer. It was a pleasure to wander with her and take lots of shots. She was so fun and cooperative with my crazy requests to get the perfect shot. I have shared some of my favorites below.

It's that time of year! - October Self-Portrait

It's that time of year, where everything gets very busy. Just when you think you cannot squeeze one more event or activity into your schedule, you find you have something else to do. It has definitely begun for me.

I work as an Office Manager/Dance Teacher at Firethorn Dance Academy. The end of October there marks the preparation for our annual Halloween Party. I spent the last week teaching my classes, subbing for others, and doing whatever I could to get ready for the party.

I decided to set up and do a photo booth for the event with some help from some awesome "Dance Moms" ;). My October self-portraits show a bit of celebration over the success of the event and how much fun we all had. I have to be sure, even when life gets hectic, that I take just a moment to reflect on the positive results of the craziness.

A pink camera for a VERY pink costume

Me as "Jem" from "Jem and the Holograms"

My buddy Allec and I being goofy. Just thought this one was fun!