5 friday favorites.

good morning!

the past few days i’ve been up and at ‘em super early! but hey, i’m not complaining, it gives me more time to do things in a day.

today’s 5 friday faves are focused again toward the things i’ve come to love as i am starting my business. and speaking of, i am excited to announce that i will be re-branding madisoncary in the very near future! :-)

do you want a small hint? i know you do. okay. it is my preferred condiment choice on a hot dog.

but to be honest, i don’t really eat hot dogs at all. they kinda gross me out. blech. i just wanted to use that as my illustration. okay, now that THAT is cleared up, on to today’s favorites!

1. showit — this website company is THE BEST. when i first won my 1 year subscription to showit, i had no idea what i was getting into. the only thing i was thinking about was “this is awesome, but now i have to figure out this thing.” the people behind this fantastic company are so encouraging, helpful & supportive. even my fellow showiteers are out to help one another as we each build and grow our businesses. and best of all, showit is SUPER easy to navigate. it’s a site made for creatives, so you have to worry about coding on your own. all you have to know is how to basically set up a powerpoint and make it look pretty. :-)

2. pass — this is the sister company to showit. pass is the way i plan on going when i deliver my images to my clients. it is a “in the cloud” type of host that allows you to upload your hi-res images into an event and share them with your clients via facebook or email. with the click of a button your clients can access, download and even directly publish their images to a facebook album. and the best thing of all, the photographer WILL ALWAYS be credited. it automatically goes to facebook with all of your info. pretty cool, huh? no more haggling about those photographer credits! let’s just say i’m pretty pumped, because as a part of my business model, i am going to strive to be mostly if not completely digital & paperless. yes! shoot & share, folks!

3. bird by bird — anne lamott is one of my all time favorite authors. she is a tell-it-how-it-is and a no-sugar-coating-it kinda gal. my first encounter with one of her books was in my spiritual formation class in college. in this particular class, i, along with 10 knowledge-driven students and 1 wise, old professor, spent time reading memoirs, praying, journaling & discussing life together around a small conference table with big, worn-in leather chairs. it is easy to say that this class was probably one of my most favorites ever. anyway,  we read through anne’s rugged & truthful journey of life in her book, “traveling mercies.” go read it. bird by bird is another memoir, however some great advice on writing has been weaved throughout it. i can’t wait to soak up more of her witty humor and helpful tips as i embark on the road to improvement.

4. moleskine — a little cliche, i know. but who doesn’t love a good, plain notebook? and now that they come in all shapes, colors & sizes, there are a spectrum of writing companions to choose from that will happily host your written journey on paper. i use a plain black notebook for journaling, a red planner & kraft-colored pocket-sized books for on the job. genius, pure genius. did you know that moleskines were used by famous creatives such as vincent van gogh, pablo picasso, ernest hemingway and bruce chatwin? maybe that’s why they are so “hip”.

5. la croix — my newest obsession. the pop of club soda meets the flavor of a fruity beverage, without the sugar, calories or sodium. score! every now and then i crave the bubbly-ness of a coke–yes, in texas we refer to EVERY kind of “pop” or “soda” or “soft drink” as a “coke”–and la croix has become my go to choice in order get my fizzy fix. and, if it doesn’t have enough flavor for you, you can always add a little mio and a wedge of lime!

whoomp, there it is.

happy friday folks!

5 friday favorites.

totally random at its best, but here are your 5 friday favorites.

1. law & order svu — zach and i are OBSESSED with this tv show. and i feel kind of awful since the stories are about extremely terrible things, but we have determined it’s the characters and actors that draw us in. zach has admitted to me several times that mariska hargitay is his all time favorite celeb crush. haha. let’s just say she’s a bamf. anyway, you can watch all of the seasons on netflix, but they are always having marathons on USA. and no matter how many times i may have seen an episode, i will always watch it all the way through. good grief.

2. mexican food — i could literally eat mexican food everyday if it didn’t affect my waistline. enchiladas? fajitas? chips and salsa? oh yeah, all are the bane of my existence. and it doesn’t help when you live in a town that has about 90 different mexican restaurants to choose from. but i have learned you can make healthier mexican dishes without loading up on the excessive amounts of cheese. and all that spicy goodness is supposed to be good for your immune system don’t ya know. my dad is a walking testament to this. he is hardly ever sick because he makes things so spicy he sweats. i’d like to think i’ve taken after him in that regard. thanks, pops! did i mention we had mexican food at our wedding reception? yup. thank you gerardo’s!

3. epiphanie bags –  these camera bags are the bomb.com. they amazingly fit a TON of your gear plus your everyday goodies. and some even have space for a laptop or iPad. for all you mommies out there who want to get pics of your kids when you are out & about and they do something super cute in the moment, this is definitely for you. it’s a great way to always have your camera on you without carrying around a bulky, boring, black backpack that makes you look like a turtle or the hunchback of notredame. i unfortunately know this from personal experience. i want one. really bad. hint hint, zach, hint hint. and they come in all different styles and colors. since i’m a cross-body-purse-wearing kind of gal, the one below is my favorite.

4. that thing you do — this movie will probably forever remain one of my all time favorites. i just love everything about it. if you watch this, i guarantee you will be singing the song in your head all day.

5. tuesdays with morrie — as a part of our university, each freshman is required to take a specific entry-level course. there were multiple topics to choose from, but for some reason i think i chose one entitled the american dream. i think it was partly because the only other person i knew at the school had chosen it first. :-) in this class, we read and discussed several books. and in that, i encountered what is now one of my most favorite books: tuesdays with morrie. based on a true story, the book is an account of the interaction between a wise old professor and his former student. when mitch albom found out that his beloved professor was slowly dying, he decided he would visit him each tuesday. unbeknownst to mitch, some extraordinary stories and valuable life lessons would come out of his weekly meetings as he weathered the storm alongside his dear professor. it is definitely a very moving story. i think i need to re-read it soon.

happy friday everyone!

————

we are off to austin this morning to celebrate my bff’s sister’s wedding this weekend!

what are your weekend plans?

5 friday favorites.

afternoon, folks!

today’s friday favorites are photography & business related. as i study, research, watch and practice in order to develop my skills into the dream of a new business, i just had to share these resources with you!

1. creativeLIVE — a place that hosts fantastic online workshops, seminars and tutorials for FREE! everything from developing your technical skills to marketing to specifically to moms, you name it, they teach it. they broadcast live from seattle, but people can tune in from around the world. you can be as involved as you’d like by having the opportunity to leave comments & questions in the online class forum or simply partake in their twitter giveaway–like i did!–for a chance to win great resources and helpful prizes that contribute to helping you grow as a photographer! i’m all about creativeLIVE. let’s just say i drank the koolaid. it is such a fantastic experience and truly makes learning so much more fun than simply reading those boring how-to articles. check out their calender, and if you sign up for something, let me know! i’m pretty much signed up for every single one, so i’d love to discuss the class together!

2. entreleadership — financial advisor dave ramsey knows how to do things, but more importantly, how to do them right. in this book he talks about how the importance of being a good leader and the qualities and mindset you have will make or break a successful business. he shares his wealth of knowledge from 20 years of experience of the ups and downs of running his own business. and don’t worry, it’s not a dry, boring book about numbers. alongside the cold hard facts he lays out, dave shares real life stories that are pretty entertaining. read it!

3. photography concentrate — this helpful website is run by an adorable photography couple, rob & lauren. they are two successful former wedding photographers who simply provide great advice, technical tips and free resources. they tackle everything from fear & confidence to composition & workflow. they share helpful guides and spark challenges, all while being personable via the internet!

4. borrowlenses — a great online storefront where you can rent lenses, camera bodies and so much more! interested in testing something out? rent it before you make the purchase! i don’t have the latest and hottest camera off the shelf–i currently own a canon rebel xti–so when i second-shoot for weddings, we have rented a professional camera body for me to use via borrowlenses. you can rent them for days or weeks at a time! and one thing i’ve learned in researching about the business, rent-to-own if you don’t have the equipment you want. you don’t want to put yourself in debt before you get started!

5. iheartfaces — looking for ways to challenge yourself or get inspired? check out iheartfaces. the owners, angie & amy, host themed photo competitions, photoshop tips and so much more! so if you are wanting to shoot, but don’t know where to start, check out their site and challenge yourself to go out and shoot for their competitions! its a great way to practice and specifically focus on a particular theme or item, rather than simply taking pictures to take pictures.

i hope these resources will help all the novices out there who are trying to figure things out like me!

now it’s your turn.

do you have a favorite photography and/or business resource?

please share in the comment section! i’d love to know!

happy friday!

now get out there and shoot!

p.s. 2 more days to enter in my first birthday giveaway!

5 friday favorites.

happy friday y’all!

well, howdy-doody, there’s my texan roots comin’ out. haha. maybe it’s because my weekend plans are filled with stuff inspired by the old west.

today, i have a special senior portrait session out on a family ranch with a true cowboy. it is going to be so much fun!

and then tomorrow the john wayne fest is happening!

let’s just say, i’m pretty excited.

anyway, aside from all this country talk, your 5 friday favorites are completely random and have no relation to the west what-so-ever.

here goes.

1. reeses. — okay, who doesn’t love reeses? need i say more? YUM. so bad for you, but SO GOOD.

2. the folding wayfarer. — while on our trip to vegas, i graduated from the $5 walmart sunglasses to my first pair of ray-bans. i am pretty stoked. i went back & forth between two styles of wayfarers, and finally decided on this one because i normally carry smallish purses and the case it comes with is literally the size of a stack of post-it notes. pretty cool, huh? and i never realized how much better & CLEARER good lenses on sunglasses could be when you choose to invest in a good pair. it was like seeing a whole new world. are you singing that aladdin song in your head? i am. speaking of, take a look at this.

3. boy meets world. — this was my FAVORITE tv show growing up. it’s a bummer we don’t have such wholesome tv shows that teach good lessons anymore. the hus-band and i recently watched all 7 seasons on netflix. i’m amazed that i could quote random parts from episodes i hadn’t seen in years, but apparently i knew them by heart. i think zach was a little annoyed with my impressive obsessive knowledge to the matthews family and friends. however, i do LOVE the wonder years, too. so maybe i just have a thing for those two savage brothers….. maybe? nah…. ;-) anyway, this is probably my favorite scene.

4. creative, inc. — as i am growing & developing my photography, i am hoping that by the fall i will become a complete & official freelance photographer and run my own business! i truly love it. but, i will have to say i worry about having to mind my p’s & q’s with all that legal jargon can be pretty daunting. i want to take all the right legal steps and do everything right the first time so i don’t have to come back and fix things later down the road. it’s super scary to be honest. but i am really excited about what opportunities lie ahead. anyway, to help me on my business quest, i’ve summoned the help of joy cho & meg mateo ilasco in their book creative, inc. it. is. awesome. for any creative person looking to make steps toward building and running a successful freelance business, this book has been super helpful in laying out all the proper steps to make sure you do it right. because let’s face it. us creatives would much rather spend time creating instead of crunching numbers and writing up contracts.

5. fab.com –  meet my new and latest discovery obsession, fab.com. think of it as the design-focused sister to pick your plum who married pinterest, only instead of craft supplies and pin boards, they have fantastic home decor, products, apparel, books, kids stuff, pet stuff, etc. that you can purchase or favorite as inspiration. at fab.com their main focus is on design, so you see great graphics, fashion, packaging, labels, and the like on everything! each day of the week they have a large discounted sale on items in certain categories. and let’s just say they are prices you won’t want to pass up. i’m definitely keeping this treasure in mind for the next gift i purchase!

welp, that’s all folks!

happy friday everyone!

5 friday favorites.

happy friday to all!

here are your 5 friday favorites this week.

1. dwell — both the hus-band and i are in LOVE with this magazine. gorgeous architecture, design & landscapes from many beautiful modern homes lie within its pages. i think we’ve decided our style is modern southwestern, if there is such a thing. i love the simplicity and clean lines in modern design, but i’m obsessed with the warmth of the colors and textures you’d find in the southwestern style. anyway, let’s just say we find ourselves constantly drooling over the amazing things you’d see in dwell. check it out for yourself.

 

 

2. natalie dee — if you are in need of a good laugh every once and awhile, check out her daily cartoon drawings. when i was an RA for our university apartments in college, i tried to use relative photos from her site that coincided with our resident messages and events. it was fun. however, i will have to put a disclaimer on this one. while some are extremely hilarious and completely random, others might contain some strong language/content. so, viewer discretion is advised.

3. sirius republic — if you have a favorite pooch, like my three ill-mannered children, you’ll love their collars. i first saw these on love and a six foot leash, and adorable blog about a family’s story on fostering and adopting out rescue pit bulls. not only are their pictures fantastic, but the stories will melt your heart. anyway, sirius republic had the folks from love and a six foot leash name these collars! from things like “broken spoke” to “hippie hollow,” all the collars names reflect special characteristics known to austin, tx. but it gets even better! for every collar of these ten patterns sold by Sirius Republic, 20% of the proceeds will be donated directly to Love-A-Bull! these just might have to go in our kids’ stocking next year. did i mention they have doggie bowties? click the pic to see for yourself.

4. ree drummond  — aka the pioneer woman. i just adore everything about her. her writing, photography, recipes, stories & personality. i want to be her friend. anyway, we received her first cookbook as a wedding gift, and while the recipes in there are something you should make in moderation, they are the yummy, wholesome & fill-the-belly-full kinda eats. with her new cooking show on food network and a second cookbook soon to be released, i’ll be thoroughly entertained as well as packin’ on a pound or two or… well, let’s NOT hope for the latter.

5. juicing — after watching joe cross’ documentary fat, sick & nearly dead, the hus-band and i have been contemplating doing some juicing in order to reboot our system, detox our bodies & jumpstart weight loss. as a part of the season of lent, we chose to give up eating out, in hopes of saving our money & time, as well as our waistlines. so with the combination of lent and juicing, we got ourselves a juicer yesterday. and boy, is it the bomb-dot-com. we decided to start off slow and ease our way into it, only juicing our lunch–the meal we’d be eating out the most–and eventually doing both lunch and dinner as we adapt to eating better. not that we eat bad in the first place, but we definitely don’t eat as many raw veggies as we should. watch it for free on netflix and consider rebooting your life!

happy day everyone!