Posts from the ‘Personal’ Category

Jun 10

Listening: Podcasts

I enjoy listening to podcasts while I am working. Below is a list of my current favorite podcasts, that you might be interested in checking out!

1. Good Life Project Radio – Good Life Project Radio is hosted by Jonathan Fields. Good Life Project Radio comprises in-depth, unscripted, deeply-inspiring conversations and insights from artists, entrepreneurs, makers, and world-shakers. You can also view Good Life TV here, to watch past interviews.

2. Elise Gets Crafty — The Elise Gets Crafty podcast is hosted by Elise Cripe. The focus of this podcast is discussing creative small business.

3. The Lively Show — The Lively show is hosted by Jess Lively. The Lively show is designed to uplift, inspire, and help you add a little extra intention to your everyday. Episodes relate to various aspects of our lives including possessions, personal habits, relationships, and career.

4. The RobCast — The RobCast is hosted by Rob Bell, a storyteller and former church pastor, who explores the idea that everything is spiritual.

5. Design Matters — Design Matters is hosted by Debbie Millman. In this podcast, Debbie Millman interviews all types of designers, artists, writers, and educators, and the conversations during the interviews are fantastic and very thought-provoking.

6. The Minimalist — At age 30, best friends Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus walked away from their corporate careers, jettisoned most of their material possessions, and started focusing on what’s truly important. In this podcast Joshua and Ryan, known to their millions of readers as “The Minimalists,” discuss living a meaningful life with less stuff.

Happy Friday! Wishing you a great weekend. If the weather holds, we plan to go to the Eastern Shore with our little fur girl!

Jun 3

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Photographs: Baby Liam and Family

While we were recently visiting family in Michigan, including meeting our nephew, Liam, I did a photo shoot for my sister, Kassie, to forever capture this special time with her little family. Several of my favorite images are shown below.

Wishing you a great weekend!

Jun 1

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Snapshot: Baby Liam

We recently spent several days in Michigan where we met our sweet and good-looking nephew, Liam! He is simply adorable! He is a really good baby, and Victory loved meeting Liam, too. Victory was very gentle with Liam and, while Liam was nursing, Victory gave Liam multiple licks on his tiny toes and the bottoms of his tiny feet, and Liam did not seem to mind! Victory did really well on this trip and she had a great time at her Grandma and Grandpa’s house and her Autie Kassie’s house! Also, while in downtown Ann Arbor, Victory enjoyed her first ‘pup-cake’ from the Cupcake Station!

My sister, Kassie, is doing well and she is a wonderful mom, very at ease; and Liam loves his Mama very much! While we were visiting, my parents and Doug and I all took turns holding little Liam and feeding Liam his supplemental bottles! Kassie and I even gave Liam his first full bath. Doug was a natural with Liam, whom he coined, ‘Little Dude!’; Doug even held Liam for over an hour and a half straight without any fussing from Liam! We also took Liam to Eastern Market for the first time and he did really well.

We wish little Liam lived closer to us. We look forward to our trip together next month, where we are spending time together at a lake house on Lake Michigan! We can’t wait to hold precious Liam again! I already miss his wonderful baby smell and his velvety soft skin! Thank goodness for FaceTime!

A few snapshots are shown below from our recent trip to Michigan meeting baby Liam, who is a month old in these images! (As you will see, ‘Uncle Nick’ is still getting acclimated to little Liam!) Additional photos from our trip are forthcoming!

Happy Wednesday!

May 25

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Around Here: May

We have been enjoying some warmer temperatures recently but, some days, it still like spring has not fully arrived, as we have had so much rain during May. Below are some items that have occurred around here in May!

-continuing to work steadily on my long-term photography project, and I hope that I have a few more months to go to finally finish!

-attended Pups in the Park! We had a great time together again this year!

-we are soon on our way to Michigan to meet our nephew, Liam!

-burning spring scented candles in our house!

-opening our windows and letting fresh air into the house!

-we have been doing some spring cleaning this month, including: cleaning our decks and getting our decks finished for the warmer months; finishing our gardening and planting; and cleaning the interior of our cars! (Due to the rain, we had to reschedule our window cleaning, which desperately needs to be done, for next month.) Next, I plan to tackle cleaning our closets and attic, while keeping in mind this mantra! It always feels so good to let go of items that you no longer need or bring you joy.

-enjoying long walks around the neighborhood and dinners together outside! Victory still very much loves going for rides in her Hound About!

-getting tickets to see Bruce Springsteen in September!

-began reading Consolations by David Whyte — a really good read so far.

-watched the first season and started the second season of Bosch.

-started the miniseries, The Night Manager.

-still using my Fitbit and I’m hitting 10,000 steps per day most days.

-continuing to make incremental progress on our ever-growing to do list!

Happy Wednesday! Wishing you a great week!

May 20

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Moments: Victory

We love our little fur girl, Victory, so very much! It is difficult to believe that we have already celebrated two birthdays with our Victory. The time is going by really quickly! I thought that I would capture some moments here, on the blog, about our fur girl!

I love waking up with Victory in the morning with her furry head abutting mine.

I love having a little furry friend waiting for me to finish showering so she can potty and have her breakfast!

I love how Victory loves to play each night before ‘night-night’ as she jumps around making growling noises, along with an occasional bark!

I love how Victory love her Daddy — giving him kisses in the same place on his face each night before bed!

I love taking long walks with Victory in her Hound About, which she loves!

I love how Victory is always laying at my feet as I work through the final portion of this long-term photography project!

I love ‘Waffle Cone Wednesday’ at TCBY with Victory!

I love how Victory is always up for an adventure!

I love how Victory travels with us, as our trips and vacations would never be the same!

I love how we are able to take Victory with us out to dinner during warmer months!

I love how Victory looks adorable in her Ergo, which she loves!

I love how Victory is so loyal and is always by my side, especially, when I am feeling sick.

I love how Victory loves routines, as do I!

I love how Victory is always promptly at the dinning room table waiting for some ‘human food,’ while kindly nudging me for more food with her snout!

I love how Victory loves to eat popcorn, and she has gotten so particular that she refuses to eat plain air-popped popcorn — she wants it to have cheese sprinkled on it — such discerning taste!

Most of all, I love how Victory is an integral family member. We cannot imagine our lives without her. What we give her, she returns one-hundred fold! We are also the lucky ones!

Happy Friday!

May 13

Great Sites: E-cards

I love sending cards, and I also enjoy sending e-cards! Everyone loves receiving cards and e-greetings! Below are some of my favorite places that I use to send e-cards!

1. Gratefulness.org – Is a global organization offering online and community-based educational programs and practices, which inspire grateful living. You can also sign up for daily emails (words for the day) in your inbox, too.

2. Care2You – Care2 support various animal and environmental causes to promote change on local, national, and international levels, which also offers fun e-cards to send.

3. Punchbowl — Punchbowl comprises fun e-cards and e-invitations!

4. Jacquie Lawson – Jacquie Lawson e-cards contain fun and animated e-greetings, with fun illustrations!

Happy Friday! I have been under the weather this week, and hope to get some rest this weekend. If the weather holds, we will be going to the Pups in the Park tomorrow! We enjoyed ourselves last year at Pups in the Park! Wishing you a great weekend!

May 6

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Cultivating Gratitude

“‘Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” –Alice Walker

If you want more happiness, joy, and energy, gratitude is a quality to foster. Gratitude brings our attention to the present, enabling us become fully present and grateful in that moment, for the smallest things that we sometimes take for granted. The deeper our appreciation, the more life flows in harmony. Also, the more we are able to welcome everything that happens in our lives with gratitude, the more we are able to experience equanimity.

Why should the simple act of thinking about who and what I’m grateful for make such a big difference in one’s life?

Because it reminds you of the positive things in your life.
Because it turns ‘bad things’ into good things.
Because it reminds you of what is important.
Because it reminds you to thank others.

If you wish to infuse gratitude into your life, here are some suggestions:

Develop a morning gratitude session. Take several minutes each morning to give thanks, to whoever or whatever you are grateful for.
Practice giving thanks.
Give thanks for “negative” things in your life.

Below are thoughts on gratitude that I routinely reference, shown below.

Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
–Author Unknown

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Moms, Fur Moms, and Moms-at-Heart!

Apr 29

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Around Here: April

April has been a really busy month for us personally. Below are some items that have occurred around here in April!

–Victory is officially a ‘Big Cousin’! My sister had their baby, William Alexander (Liam), born on April 27, 2016! We are excited to meet our nephew! An image of Liam is shown below, courtesy of my Mom.

-We recently visited Keeneland and we had a great time together!

-continuing to work steadily on my long-term photography project, and one portion of the deliverable remains to be completed; I have a few more months to go to finally finish this large endeavor.

-burning spring scented candles in our house!

-opening our windows and letting fresh air into the house!

-enjoying date nights with Doug!

-started gardening and working to get our decks ready to use!

-enjoying the warmer temperatures with long walks around the neighborhood and dinners together outside!

-taking Victory for long walks in her Hound About, which she loves!

-I finished reading, Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It, a good read.

-started watching The Girlfriend Experience, and so far it is pretty good.

-using my Fitbit and I’m hitting 10,000 steps per day most days.

-continuing to make incremental progress on our ever-growing to do list!

Happy Friday!

Mar 24

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My Sister’s Maternity Photos

While I was in Ann Arbor recently visiting for my sister’s baby shower, my sister, Kassie, braved the cold weather, as it was in the thirties, and we took a few portraits at Island Park, so that she can forever remember this special time in her life. Kassie looks so beautiful and she is glowing. A few of my favorite images are shown below. Kassie is nearly 34 weeks pregnant in these images below. (Dress: A Pea in the Pod).

Mar 22

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My Sister’s Baby Shower

My sister, Kassie, and her husband are having their first baby very soon! This past weekend, my Mom and I hosted Kassie’s baby shower luncheon in Ann Arbor at Zingerman’s, one of our favorite restaurants! I had fun selecting the invitations since I love tangible cards! The weather was cold, so we held the shower on the heated and enclosed patio, and fortunately there was no rain! The cake turned out very well, too. The cake design was inspired by the invitations, which helped tie things together, which the Zingerman’s Bakehouse created and helped design. For favors, the Zingerman’s Bakehouse made cookies, which were also inspired by the invitations: a silver star; a red heart; and a blue onesie, all sealed with a custom-designed seal! Kassie received many very nice gifts from all of her guests! Of course, we gave her the Ergo as one of her gifts! Everyone had a great time and the appetizers, the food, and the cake were delicious, as always! Everyone also enjoyed the flavored water station as well.

A snapshot of Kassie’s baby shower is shown below! We cannot wait to meet our soon-to-be nephew in several weeks! (And, lastly, our matching polka dot dresses was fortuitous!)