Photo shoot with Smitten Imagery

Last month I had the real pleasure of working with Brittney of Smitten Imagery for the second time - remember these? That was back when she had a different biz name! I am so proud of Brittney and all she's accomplished in the last couple of years - she's truly honed her skills and even started shooting film, which accounts for most of these images. I feel so lucky to count her among my friends and fellow professionals. I've learned so much from her already! She is actually the one who first recommended I try this tutorial I'm always raving about. I am so incredibly grateful that she did.

Brittney and my sister in law and I had an amazing time at The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell, practicing boudoir photography indoors and frolicking around outdoors in the fields for some regular portraits. Below are a few of my favorites from our outdoor photos! Don't hesitate to hire Brittney if you're anywhere near the Houston/The Woodlands area. Girl knows her stuff, and she'll make you look gooood. ;)

dress from Madewell (on sale!)

And now for today's featured SOML sponsors! Pay these lovely ladies a visit - I think you'll be glad you did!

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Girl Meets Baby is an incredibly beautiful blog by an incredibly beautiful girl called O.E. - learn a little more about that name AND the lady behind it right over here! I think you'll be smitten with her unique and captivating writing style after just one post - like perhaps one of her Therapy Thursdays entries like this one. Amazing, right? If that hasn't convinced you yet, read this one. Absolutely beautiful. Reads like a book you don't want to put down, right? You will love this girl, her sweet family, and her truly one-of-a-kind blog. 

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After April is a blog by another total sweetheart named Amber Marie - fall in love with her right over here. Amber Marie started After April a month after her father passed away - she turned something tragic and hard into something that motivated her to put beauty out there into the world. I have had the pleasure of getting to know this girl via the blog world, and she is just one of those you'll love to meet. Read her post called "Perspective Object" here - it's one of my favorites, and really makes you think. Enjoy!

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Happy Friday :)

Dominican Joe

I enjoy a good cup of coffee. I even specifically remember when I started enjoying it, too. Up until a certain point, I thought coffee was disgusting and I didn't know how my parents could endure the taste. But then one day, probably about 7 years ago now, I was in New York with my best friend, and we were staying with her aunt. We had to get up super early on a chilly fall morning, like before the sun early, because we were catching the train into the city. My friend's aunt made a pot of hazelnut coffee, and we all drank a cup before we headed out. I remember the aroma of it mingled with the excitement for the day ahead, and I remember falling in love with that flavor and that smell and maybe even the possibilities I've associated with a good cup of joe ever since. :)

I also enjoy a good coffee shop, and there are plenty to choose from here in Austin. A couple of my other favorites are Houndstooth and Vintage Heart. Today I'm sharing some photos from Dominican Joe. Such a great little place, and a company with conscience. Stop by, if you're ever in the neighborhood! 

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My Unblemish Story (and a Rodan + Fields full regimen giveaway!)

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today I'm reviewing Unblemish by Rodan + Fields, the same folks who made Proactive. If you have problem skin, you'll want to listen up to this!

It can be easy to fall prey to the assumption that everyone on the Internet is perfect. Perfect home, perfect family, perfect wardrobe, perfect skin, perfect life. But it's important to remember that PHOTOSHOP. And professional photography, and great light, and that you are seeing a filtered version of reality, not the real reality. I try to keep it real on this blog, and that's why I'm writing about my skin today. It's not the best. It's never been the best, but about two years ago it decided to FREAK OUT on me, and ever since then I've been waging this war against adult acne that can be very  frustrating and embarrassing at times. Bonnie, a Rodan + Fields consultant, contacted me to sponsor several months back, and that's when I first became aware of the Unblemish line. After his first stint advertising with me, I bartered some ad space for the Unblemish regimen, on the promise that I would review it IF I had a good experience. And you guys, I did! I really did. 

I debated even posting this before and after picture because I look like death warmed over in the first photo especially (just got out of a hot shower, so my skin was still angry and I had no makeup on except for the eyeliner I did a terrible job of washing off). But I think it's important to see what a difference 6 weeks of Unblemish made for my face, specifically my forehead, which I have the most trouble with. If it takes the shittiest imaginable photo of me to do so, so be it.

I know, I know. Nevvverrr looked better! But this gets the point across, right? That ish WORKS! It worked for me anyway. I feel I should also mention I spent a little time in the sun between the before and after, which I'm sure helped clear me up a little, too. But I haven't been in the sun for about a month now at this point, and my skin is still clearer than it has been in two years.  I am so grateful for Unblemish, and plan to continue using it as long as it continues working for me.

Now excuse me while I go hide my face in shame for posting those god-awful pictures of myself on the Internet. I did it because I love you, people. I did it because I love you.

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GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Blogtember: A September blog challenge

Fellow bloggers, I have another challenge for you! Remember Blog Every Day In May? I started up that one because I was tired of scrounging around for post topics that would be "cool" enough - I just wanted to WRITE, and enjoy sitting down to blog every day. You know, get back to the basics. And here we are, three months later, and I think I've finally recovered from May and feel up to another challenge. To be honest, I'm envious of the students heading back to school around now. I miss brand new school supplies, I miss assignments, I miss creative writing, and I KNOW it's going to be hard to make time for my blog in the next few months. My photography business has me booked up to my eyeballs through December, and I don't want the blog to feel like a chore. 

Enter: Blogtember. I know, Blogtober sounds better, but I have a feeling October is going to be too crazy a month for us, so September it is. ;)

I made it easier for us this time - we'll start the Tuesday after Labor Day (so, next Tuesday), and I gave us off weekends. That's 20 total days of blogging in a month with 30 days, so we get ten whole days off! See how nice I am? Participate if you'd like, don't if you don't like. I'll obviously be here posting each week day, and there will be a linkup on each of my posts if you'd like to play along. 

Here are the rules:

1. There really aren't any rules. If you miss a day, you can make it up or skip it. The blog police will not come knocking.

2. I will be including a linkup option at the bottom of my post each day, so you are welcome to leave your links here for others to peruse, as well. 

3. You can still post other things every day, too. I plan to do normal outfit posts, life posts, around-Austin posts, and sponsor posts just like usual.

4. I'd seriously love you if you also include the "Blogtember" button (below) either on your sidebar or at the end of your posts, but again, the blog police will not come knocking. My main goal here is to get us all back to the basics of blogging, not to gain a million new readers (though I wouldn't mind that). 

5. Here are the topics. You can be as creative and awesome or as boring and bland as you like with these. Take 'em and run with it. Use creative post titles. Interpret each "prompt" however you like. There's no wrong way to do it. Have fun.

Tuesday, Sept. 3: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

Wednesday, September 4: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do? (bonus points for fun photos from Pinterest, but don't forget to cite the source!)

Thursday, September 5: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered. 

Friday, September 6: A story about a time you were very afraid.

Monday, September 9: Take this short personality test and respond to your results. (at the end, find the detailed profile of your personality account - click "click to view" under "You" and "self awareness and personal growth." You can even google your type and find more info on it!)

Tuesday, September 10: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

Wednesday, September 11: Share links to your favorite online shops, preferably with a few photos of your favorite items in each shop.

Thursday, September 12: Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

Friday, September 13: A self portrait

Monday, September 16: Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.)

Tuesday, September 17: A memory you would love to relive.

Wednesday, September 18: Only photos

Thursday, September 19: Creative writing day: write a (very short) fictional story that starts with this sentence: "To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century."

The story does not necessarily need to have a conclusion - you can leave your readers wishing for more!

Friday, September 20: React to this term: comfort. 

Monday, September 23: A "life lately" post. What you're up to, how you're feeling, how you're doing on your goals, etc. Bonus points for great photos!

Tuesday, September 24: Review a book, place, or product.

Wednesday, September 25: Write about a time you screwed up - a mistake you made. 

Thursday, September 26: Go to a coffee shop. Order a favorite drink. Write about what makes you happy and what makes you sad. Or write about anything you'd like! Bonus points for including a photo from the coffee shop. (I recommend downloading Ommwriter and bringing headphones along!) *if you can't make it to a coffee shop, at least leave your usual space and write someplace new.

Friday, September 27: An anonymous letter to your Facebook friends. Be as snarky as you'd like. (but don't include people's real names.) 

Monday, September 30: Share a photo of something old. Maybe something that has personal history for you, that was passed down to you, and that has special meaning to you. Tell us about it and why it's special.

Join me next TUESDAY, September 3rd,  for #BLOGTEMBER :)

 <center><a href="http://storyofmylifetheblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/blogtember-september-blog-challenge.html"><img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m553/jennilu07/Blogtember200_zps4672ae9b.png" border="0"/></a></center>follow here! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Photography

Friday thoughts

Matthew and I watched about two hours of crime shows before we went to bed last night - kind of grizzly stuff about serial killers and rapists and women being attacked and going missing. And then we went to bed, and it turns out that shit affected us more than we thought, because he had a horrible nightmare about me being abducted and murdered and stuffed into a trash shoot, and then when he woke me up to cuddle, I was disoriented and confused and thought he was an intruder coming to murder me, and I almost clobbered him. I didn’t know why he was being so sweet and tender at the time, but I wondered if he could hear my heart pounding before I settled into his arms and drifted back off to sleep.

I don’t really know why I’m telling that story, but I guess because I’m feeling so grateful this morning. I know we live in a world full of a lot of horror, and in a strange way it was nice to be reminded of our fears - sometimes your greatest fears help you to realize what you value and cherish most deeply. It’s always a good thing, to be reminded of that.

Matthew starts an internship with the Supreme Court of Texas today.  I still smell his cologne on my pjs from our hug before he left. I am so proud of him.  And I just wanted to say that, because I feel it more than ever this morning.

Sorry for my rambling. Check out today's featured SOML sponsors - maybe they'll have something a little more cohesive to say than I do! ;) Happy Friday...

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Rachel is the mastermind behind the sweet blog Postcards from Rachel - I think you'll really love this one! The blog started while Rachel and her husband were expats living in Scotland, but now documents their time living back in the States. You can go right over here for an excellent introduction to Postcards from Rachel, and if you're on Instagram, you may find today's post really useful and fun, too!

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Serendipitous Whimsicality is an adorable blog co-authored by two adorable best friends, Ellie and Fatima. I really enjoyed this post by Ellie about her recent trip to Guatemala (more posts on the trip here!). These two also produce the occasional fashion and travel posts. Drop by and say hello to these two cute bloggers! :)

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The Mermaid Chronicles is a favorite blog of mine by the ever-lovely Devon, an incredible writer, photographer, and surfer. Her words and photos tell a story that draws you in and keeps you there. Check out her amazing sailing trip to the Seychelles, and don't miss today's tour of her and her husband's adorable beach-bungalow-themed home. The before and after photos are stunning. Apparently we can add interior decorator to Devon's list of talents, as well!  ;)

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Have a great weekend! 

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A dinner idea: easy crockpot chicken

Now that Matthew's home from school, I have been doing a lot more cooking - and consequently, a lot more good eating! I'm not going to lie, though. I don't love cooking as much as I used to. Probably because I'm working full time now, and when I finally shut down my computer and my brain for the day, I really don't want to think about food! Story of most women's lives, I'm sure. So a delicious and easy meal with very little prep time is always nice to discover, eh? One of our other favorites is my most delicious salmon in the world recipe. Big name, yes, but I think it lives up to it. 

Anyway, there really isn't anything special about this crock pot chicken, except maybe that it's easy, melt-in-your-mouth yummy, lean, and did I mention easy? Serve it up with a pre-made salad and rolls you pop right in the oven, and you've got yourself a perfect dinner. 

AND IT'S EASY.

Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

Assorted bone-in chicken pieces (I used two breasts, four thighs, and about six legs)

Season-all

Garlic salt

Directions:

Rinse chicken and lay out the pieces on a plate/cutting board/plastic wrap. Sprinkle all with a little season-all and garlic salt, or any of your favorite seasonings. Place them in the crockpot (it's OK to pile them up in there - I like to make extra so there's leftovers for the next day's lunch!).  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high about 4, or until chicken is super tender and juicy. Serve with salad and rolls or rice, or whatever you prefer. The salad pictured above is a delicious and super healthy kale salad mix from Costco. 

Enjoy!

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So, what's your thing?

photo cred: Smitten Imagery

Last night I was thinking, like I sometimes do, and I was thinking about my “thing” and other people’s “things” and whether or not everyone actually has a “thing.” Allow me to explain with an example. We were watching the news the other day, and there was a story about these deep water divers that go down without any oxygen - they train themselves to hold their breath for three, four plus minutes at a time, and they try to break world records or their own records or what have you - and that’s their thing! They love to see how long they can go and how deep they can get without coming up for air. Personally, that sounds like the most terrifying and worst possible way I could spend my time and enegy, but those particular people love it. 

For me, my thing is writing. Or at least that was the thing that sparked other things that have entered my life, like blogging and now photography. Writing has been a part of my life literally as long as I can remember. It’s always been part of my identity. I was writing little stories and books and poems ever since I was a little kid, and people would always tell me I should be a writer someday.  When you have a passion, and you’re doing it, there’s almost no greater high feeling. The only thing comparable for me might be eating a Gourdough’s doughnut. But I digress.

You see all these inspirational quotes everywhere, like “follow your bliss” and “if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough,” and stuff like that, but sometimes I think what about the people who don’t have a dream? Who weren’t born with that one thing they love doing and really fulfills them? What about them? I imagine it would be a strange feeling, when you see the world carrying on so much about “following your passions” when that doesn’t seem to really apply to you.

But as I was tumbling this little thought process along in my head, I think I came to the conclusion that I believe everyone really DOES have a thing. Even though it may be uncultivated or undiscovered yet. Maybe right now, it’s just something you really appreciate and admire. I always used to really appreciate and admire great photography, but never really imagined becoming a photographer myself, until that one day I felt a DSLR camera in my hands for the first time and something woke up inside me, as dumb as that sounds. 

So if you’re one of those people without a defined passion yet, I guess I just wanted to say to you that I believe it’s there somewhere, waiting to be uncovered. A God-given talent or predisposition that will feel really good to find and will give your life extra purpose and excitement. It’s scary and awesome all at once. I hope you find it.

What about YOU? What is your thing? Do you have one yet, or not? Do you think people without a “thing” yet can still find one? It’s so interesting to hear about people’s passions. Like the freaks divers that like to hold their breath for extended periods of time and almost die on a regular basis, we are all unique, and I love to hear about what makes other’s tick. 

Happy Hump Day!

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Have you heard of Nyopoly?

Have you heard of Nyopoly? This cool new website is sponsoring SOML this month, and if you have a fondness for designer names and great fashions for great deals, you'll probably want to listen up. Nyopoly is a member's only site that allows you to negotiate your own personal price for their merchandise. It's pretty fun to barter and get a response in real time - there is no waiting, and I was really surprised by the pricing Nyopoly would let some awesome designer stuff go for. It's certainly a unique and fun shopping experience! Here's a little peek behind the scenes for members:

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If you're interested in joining Nyopoly but would like to learn more, go right over here for more details. And if you decide to sign up, use the promo code storyofmylife for a $20 credit to use towards purchases when you become a member! Have fun! :)

Back at the Prairie

This weekend I headed back to the Prairie (remember the last time? part 1, part 2) for a nice getaway in celebration of my mom-in-law's birthday. As per usual, the place was completely divine. We stayed in the same house as last time, though next I vow to try one of the smaller cottages and go alone, to just soak in all the quiet and peace and beauty. Bring a book, read, write, give myself permission to not take any pictures. Sounds pretty nice. 

Here's a few snapshots from the weekend because, you know, I just couldn't help myself...

Hope your week is off to a splendid start!

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I filed for inbox bankruptcy (& an important SOML announcement)

photo cred: Smitten Imagery

The other day I was driving along in my car when I started making a mental tally of all the places I have information and interactions pelting me all day, every day. I counted four email addresses (one personal, one for the blog, one where all blog comments go, and one for my photography biz). Then there's three Facebook accounts with three direct message inboxes and three walls to watch. Then Instagram, Twitter, and phone calls and text messages from friends and family. And of course that's not even counting media like blogs, websites and TV (don't really watch the latter though). Basically, I said to myself, I said "NO WONDER I'M SUCH A CLUSTER F*** ALL THE TIME." That's a lot of correspondence flying around, and it's all right at my fingertips in my smart phone! Hard not to check it a gazillion times a day, and leave your brain in twenty different places in the process.

I know this "issue" is commonplace with bloggers and business owners who are heavy on the social media, so this isn't so much a complaint as it is just an observation. But I've been trying to come up with ways to simplify my life some, where possible. Take some of the strain off, especially as I'm about to enter the busiest season my photography business has ever seen. 

My main issue, though, is that lately I've been feeling like such an asshole because I just haven't had time to reply to blog comments. I've never had time to reply to every single one, but I used to reply a lot more than I do now. I've tried to educate people about how to add your email address to your blogger profile to make comment replies more streamlined, but I know I'll never solve that problem, and the lack of continuity continues to bug me - it has this weird psychological effect. If the replying can't just be simple and all the same way (all via email or all in the thread), I don't want to do it! So I get behind, and then things in that comment inbox I mentioned get scary. I've been wanting to clear it out for a long time now, and just start over, and last night I finally did. AND IT FELT SO GOOD. It's not that I didn't read those comments, because I totally did. But I just wanted to connect with some of you on them, and there were some questions in there I missed, so I kept those marked as unread. Bottom line, it got too out of hand before I was able to get to it, and I get overwhelmed easily. Matthew makes fun of me because usually when I get really overwhelmed, instead of facing the problem and chipping away at fixing it, I'll just take a nap instead. I guess that's what I've been doing with that inbox.

So aaaalllll that to say, I'm really sorry if you said something awesome in a comment lately, or asked me a question, and I didn't respond to you. Please feel free to email me any questions I may have missed! And from now on, I've made a new rule for myself and my blog. I know this might not be the popular choice with everyone, but when I have time to reply, from now on I am going to do it 100% in the comment thread on my blog. This means you will have to come back and see if I replied, yes. Probably a little bit annoying for those of you who are used to getting email replies, yes. Some of you may never come back to see if I replied, and I will be wasting my time, yes. But for the sake of my own sanity, I have to make this change, and I think it will be good for all of us. You'll hear back from me more, I won't feel like an asshole all the time, and I'll have one less inbox full of unread messages to worry about. Sweet.

I started this up on the post yesterday, about the deli in San Antonio, so if you left a comment there, I wrote you a note back! I can't promise to reply on 100% of all comments in the future, especially on those occasional posts that get a huge response, but I would love to connect with you all a little more than I am currently, even if that means picking one or two posts a week to reply to comments on, or a few especially nice comments here and there. I don't really know what I'll have time for. But I think anything is better than my current system. I'll give this a trial for now! :)

Sorry for the rambling this morning... now take a moment to check out today's featured SOML sponsors, and have yourself a fantastic weekend! 

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Ashton is the brains behind Landing on Love, and this girl is the sweetest soul - can't you just tell? She happens to be a fellow Austin blogger, and her blog is a little bit of everything, from style posts (how cute is she??), to the occasional recipe, to a DIY or two! I think you'll like this sweet blog - go say hi to Ashton, and let her know I sent you! 

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Meet Jenn, The Stylish Housewife! As the blog title might suggest, miss Jenn is a fashionable stay-at-home momma with tons of personality and most definitely an enviable closet. You can expect fun outfit of the day posts (I love this one!) and occasional beauty product reviews from Jenn - I think you will love this stylish lady.

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Allow me to introduce you to Nicole and her lovely space on the web, Treasure Tromp. This amazing lady is a California girl at heart but currently resides in South Africa! Cool huh? She's working on a PhD in Psychology and, well... go here and learn a little more! Also, check out some other top posts here, and get a taste of what Treasure Tromp is all about. Enjoy! :)

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Happy FRIDAY!