Links I Like: Internet Distractions Round 2

Hello! It’s time for another round of “Links I Like!,” the very sophisticated blog post where I share some things on the internet that I’ve enjoyed, in the hopes that they might make you laugh or think as well! Happy Friday! (What am I talking about?? See post 1 here!)

1. Good Habits

Let’s just get the cat video out of the way to begin with, shall we? ;) Yes, I think there’s a pretty good chance there will be at least one cat-related item on these lists each time! My aunt sent me this video (seriously, the majority of posts from my friends to my facebook is just some version of a cat meme or video!) but this is SO cute! So enjoy & you’re welcome!

2. West Coast is the Best Coast right?!

Haha okay so embarrassing fun fact, during an ice breaker at a recent conference, we were asked to say one thing we thought we knew a lot about and I said cats and beer. And then only AFTERWARDS did I realize I meant like.. good, craft beer.. IPAs, sour beers. And honestly I don’t actually know that much but I do love trying them! :) So that was a little silly but.. what I REALLY love is trying new beers with Adam :) So when I saw this map showing a route for a road trip to try some great beers across the country, I told Adam we needed to add it to our travel queue! Obviously, tackling this whole thing is a bit overwhelming but I’ve really been itching to get back to the west coast.. And since we’ll naturally be planning an anniversary trip soon anyway… ;)

3. Speaking of delicious…

Current guilty obsession: Jeni’s ice cream!! I first tried it with Britney during our trip to the same conference mentioned above, Creative at Heart, in Charleston, SC. Ahhh, this ice cream is AMAZING. So rich and even though a pint costs more than my brain tells me is reasonable, my heart (and tastebuds) have won out and yes, we literally had ice cream shipped to us. And we may or may not have another order placed. Halp!!

4. Accepting Growth when it’s Needed

This post has started to make it’s rounds in a couple of the photo groups I’m in and it’s just so relatable – not in the exact experience but in the feelings of wanting to be the best I can be for my clients (and also my husband, family, friends). Feel free to grab that pint of ice cream when you read this one. I really appreciate that Naissance Photography put this out there, as I can only imagine how tough it would be (even talking about it here is terrifying). It’s incredibly scary to ask for feedback and even more ground-shaking when it comes back negative. I try the hardest I can to be a friend to my clients, and to meet their needs to the fullest of my ability. But it happens sometimes, as creatives we can get drained or fall into ruts. No one wants to be there. And it’s terrifying for me to be putting it out there like this, (but it’s scarier to me to think of someone biting their tongue and not telling me), but I want to say that I welcome feedback. Obviously I never want it to be bad, but I hope that my clients (and hey, even friends & family too) feel comfortable enough to stop me if needed and say “hey, what you’re doing is not what I expected and it’s not acceptable.” It’s easy to be stubborn and think “what I’m doing is right! They just don’t understand!” but it’s just so much more valuable to try to understand the critique and figure out if it’s valid, and if something needs to change. I’m so guilty of taking things personally so I know my mom would laugh at me for this suggestion, but we really have to accept the hurt but then try to learn from it too. I definitely appreciated this post and I think most people can relate – even when it’s just a small blip of a mistake – to figuring out what went wrong and then trying that much harder. So as always, thank you to everyone that trusts in me and that is patient with me when it’s needed. But also please know that I’m very open to honest conversations if something really doesn’t feel right! I love my clients and I love what I do, and I’m pretty sure this kind of self-reflection is what’s needed to help keep going forward and to keep growing. <3

5. A Little Holiday Flair

Well, I can’t end on such a heavy note, and since it is DECEMBER now (HOW did that happen?! Am I the only one that feels like that snuck up out of no where?).. I’m going to leave you with some fun decor/design that I’ve been loving lately. All thanks to my Pinterest-habit of course ;) This first photo really caught my eye when I saw it on Pinterest, and I finally tracked it down to a 2014 blog post by Michelle Lea Designs (now Michelle Lea Creative). Needless to say, seeing the whole blog post now has me ready to do all sorts of decorating!! But for now, I’m just really proud to say that we have a nice little DIY attempt to recreate this awesome rustic frame-and-wire-card-holder! :) Thanks to my mom who had two unused frames laying around & a staple gun, and the purchase of some chicken wire.. voila! I can’t wait to see more photos as everyone decorates this month!