Dressember 2016 Kick-Off + Giveaways

Dressember 2016 kicks off in just two days! I can't believe it's almost here. As I look to this next month, I am excited for what's ahead, and I'm hopeful that many of you will help me make this Dressember a great one.

Dressember happens because of generosity. Because people believe in a cause and give what they can to make it happen. As I'm typing this post, Dressember donors have already given a combined $70,000 to the cause. That's 70k to fight human trafficking, to restore the lives of victims, and to prosecute those who make a living on exploiting the powerless.

I know during this time of year, money can be tight. But I also know that this season encourages us to be generous with what we have. It doesn't take a lot to make a difference. You don't have to give the largest amount of money to take a stand. Any amount you give goes toward the ongoing work of anti-slavery organizations International Justice Mission and A21. No amount is too small to be a voice for those who have none.

I am asking for your help to kick off Dressember 2016 well. Help me get started on the right foot as we head into the month of December. And to say thank-you for your generosity, I have some special giveaways. (All I need is your address so I can send your thank-you item on its way!)

Donate $30 or more to my Dressember campaign on Giving Tuesday (November 29, 2016) and I will send you one of my mini splatter paint journals! I have eight of these cuties to give away, and they make a great little gift for the journaler or artist in your life.

 
Each one-of-a-kind, hand painted, 3.5 x 5.5" Moleskine journal is filled with 64 pages of blank paper with 16 perforated sheets at the back. Each features a flexible navy, black, or grey cardboard cover and back pocket for lose papers. The front with be adorned with a fun splatter paint design in a surprise color! The small size fits easily into a pocket, purse, or backpack and is easy to take on-the-go.

Donate $20 or more to my Dressember campaign during the first week of Dressember (December 1-7, 2016) and I will send you a piece of my "famous" brush lettering artwork! This has been a beloved thank-you item in the past and once again I will be creating these original works of art for my donors. Each quote is selected and hand-painted by me, so you will be receiving an original piece, not a print.

Be one of the first 10 donors to give $10 or more to my Dressember campaign and you will receive a limited-edition thank-you card featuring one of the images from my #DressemberCollection of photographs. These images are also available for purchase, with proceeds going to Dressember. Please contact me directly if you are interested.

I will be sharing my Dressember Collection on my Instagram account throughout the campaign. My hope is that the images will cause viewers to reflect on the differences between young people who are free, and young people who are not free. All are deserving of the best life possible--full of dignity, vibrancy, and autonomy--and that is something worth fighting for.

Please consider what you can give to my Dressember campaign. Simply click the link below to donate. Thank you for your consideration and support. Let's do this!

Donate now

Cullen Family Photo Shoot

Life is definitely staying busy, but I finally got another fall shoot edited this weekend! I had to force myself to set aside time dedicated to only photo editing (with maybe some football on in the background), which was a little hard with my newfound love for Periscope. Don't judge me.

These photos were from a fun session I had with the Cullen family mid-October at Kent Park in Tiffin, the same place where I look the Clark's family portraits. This location may become my favorite out here, it has beautiful trees, architecture in the form of some bridges, and meadow areas with long grass.

Thanks for checking out my blog! Find out more about my photography and what I offer here.

Vogts Family Photo Shoot

Fall has been a busy season for my photography! This month I've had at least one photo shoot scheduled each weekend, which has been awesome! But it also means I'm constantly playing catch-up on editing and sharing photos. I had a session with the wonderful (and very photogenic) Vogts family earlier this month, all in their backyard! Here are some highlights from their shoot.

More photo sessions will be coming soon! I've got some awesome senior photos and a maternity shoot to share with y'all! If you're looking for more information on my photography, you can find it here.

Clark Family Photo Shoot

The first of my fall family portrait sessions was with the Clarks! We had a lot of fun scouting out pretty locations at Kent Park in Tiffin. I hadn't been there before, but I loved getting to check it out with them. We had some adorable and priceless moments with their little ones, who were so much fun to photograph. Here are a few of my favorite shots from their session.

I'm currently booking fall photo shoots for families and individuals. If you're interested, check out my photography page for more information.

FIRST LOOK: Michael's Senior Portraits

I got to spend part of Labor Day taking the first round of my brother Michael's senior portraits. We plan to do more in some different locations when the weather cools down a little and we have some more time. When I initially when through the 300+ photos I snapped, I pulled out a few favorites to quickly edit and share. I was mostly excited to get these photos out because it's the first real session I've done with my new camera!

I can so easily see the difference in the beauty and quality of these photos compared to the ones I took with my old camera. The operator is still the same, my eye hasn't changed, but the photo quality itself is a million times better! I feel like it backs up my training and practice as a photographer.

I bought my first camera as a broke college student, so at the time it was pretty great for what I could afford. I was taking a photography class and rather than share one of the school's few rentable cameras with classmates, I opted to buy my own. It paid off not only in doing my homework for the class, but getting the opportunity to start taking photographs for friends and family.

Over time, however, the quality of my camera began to decline as the quality of others improved. Camera companies were constantly adding more megapixels and camera features. Anyone and everyone was suddenly becoming a "photographer" simply because they had a nice camera. Don't get me wrong, I love that cameras are opening a door to helping the masses take great photos. But at the same time, there's no replacement for training and years of practice.

I'm so excited to explore the options and possibilities of photography with this new camera. I love when photographs can freeze a moment of our lives and convey emotion, personality and passion. It's something we can't quite replace as time rushes forward and life moves on. We now have this great ability to keep pieces of our past forever, in a beautiful and rich representation.

For this particular shoot, I really enjoyed getting to capture my brother in this stage of life. Senior year is like a deep breath before everything changes. It's the threshold of adulthood, a slice of time in which you're still a kid living at home, and yet you're preparing to move on to a new, totally different reality.

I love that everyone's story is different after high school ends. A lot of people move on to college, but each one is so different, different places with different people and different experiences. I can't wait to see what my brother's story will be, and I'm excited to be apart of this time of transition. I get to capture some special moments and cheer him on at the same time.

I know that Michael will go on to do some really great things. He's a special person with amazing gifts and talents. He's creative and funny, intelligent and musical. Things always seem to come easy to him, so I know he'll be able to succeed at whatever he wants to do.

Congrats on making it to senior year, Michael! Finish strong and don't forget to have some fun! I love you!

Explored: Northern Michigan

July has been such a busy month! I feel like we've been doing almost non-stop traveling since the month began. I haven't had a moment to sit down and write on the blog until now.

Over the last week and a half, Nick and I got to travel to northern Michigan, specifically the Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island area, and some of the Upper Peninsula. I wanted to share our adventures and photos in a new "Explored" post so here goes!

You might say that Michigan is in my blood. My mom grew up there, my parents honeymooned in Mackinaw City, our family lived in the Flint area for a few years, and we've vacationed in Mackinaw several times.

Going back this time was like seeing an old friend after 8 years apart. Last time we were in Mackinaw, I was going into my senior year of college, Michael was 9, and Nick and I hadn't dated yet (though we were friends). This time, Nick and I were celebrating our second wedding anniversary on a trip that included time with family and ended with a wedding in Flint.

We headed out on our road trip on Friday, July 10, and drove to Mackinaw City. We decided to stay in the city, which is on the mainland, and visit Mackinac Island a few times throughout our stay. Our first trip over to the island--via ferry boat--was on Saturday.

During special trips to the island, some of the ferry lines will take a little detour and drive under the massive Mackinac Bridge which serves as the dividing line between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It also connects the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.

It was so cool to ride under the bridge and see it up close. Many people said it couldn't be built, but here it stands today, the Mighty Mac!

After the ferry ride (which if you sit on the upper deck, is very windy!), we arrived at Mackinac Island. The island is 8.2 miles around and doesn't allow motorized vehicles. Visitors and residents travel by bike or horse-drawn carriage.

The "downtown" area is filled with lots of shops, restaurants, and hotels. A block off main street we found a little coffee shop I had discovered on Instagram prior to our trip, Lucky Bean Coffeehouse. (If you're ever on Mackinac Island, you must go there, it's delicious!) After that we rented bikes and were off on a little trip around the island!

After a fun first day on the island, we spent Sunday hanging out on the mainland in Mackinaw City. That included shopping, checking out different restaurants and coffee shops, playing mini golf, and enjoying the beach and view at our lakeside hotel.

 

On Monday we celebrated our second wedding anniversary with another trip to the island. This time we rented a drive-it-yourself carriage, took a walk, got more coffee, and had dinner at the Mission Point Resort.

On Tuesday, my family arrived in Mackinaw City and we enjoyed spending the rest of our trip together. This included more mini golf and coffee, another (final) trip to the island, a drive over the Mackinac Bridge and time in the UP, and of course, more good food.

On our last trip to Mackinac Island, Nick and I biked around the island again with my dad and brother. We also climbed up to Arch Rock (207 steps to be exact). The climb was worth it because the view was fantastic. The water was beautiful shades of turquoise and blue and we could see sailboats that had come in during the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac.

I always encourage anyone who asks me about the Mackinaw area to visit. It's a great place to have a relaxing vacation, as busy or as chill as you want it to be. You can travel to surrounding areas and see the sights, or just stick with local options. It's always beautiful and full of friendly people and yummy fudge (though I go for the ice cream, myself). ;)

Have you been to Mackinac Island? Or are you planning a trip there in the future? I'd love to hear about your experience or what you're hoping to do!