another year gone and a fresh beginning awaits. a few things on my mind lately that i would love to do more of next year. i’m not hard pressed to call them resolutions, more just ideas floating around in my head.

1. collaborate with other artists in and out of the wedding industry.

2. on that same note, be more particular and intentional about the work i choose to do outside of my weddings. time is  such a valuable thing these days, and as hard as it is to say no, i have to think about what is best for my family. this means thinking more like a business person and try not to let my emotions getting in the way of making smart business choices.

3. cook more. bake more. experiment more. continue to find ways to make unhealthy meals in a healthy way.

4. yoga. every year i want to do more yoga, and it always falls to the wayside. i love the way i feel after yoga, but at the same time i don’t have the patience for it. 90 minutes is just too long to hold my attention. i am a 30 minute yoga type, which at this point just doesn’t exist.

5. continue shooting and experimenting with film. i started out the year shooting a lot of film, especially on my travels, but as the hustle of wedding season came, it escaped me. i miss my polaroid camera. i haven’t picked up my 35mm in months. and i haven’t taken my contax out into fresh air. it’s time to shoot more film, even if it’s just for myself.

6. continue reading as much as possible. i have read so many books this year and i couldn’t be happier. i’ve realized how much reading calms me, especially when my mind is in a whirlwind.

though 2013 had a different ending that i expected, it was a wonderful year. it was the year i shot weddings in london, colombia, texas and arizona. it was the year i got pregnant and got to experience the crazy experience that is your first pregnancy. i made the washingtonian list of recommended photographers, which is an honor in and of itself. it was the year we (finally!) got our dream kitchen. it was the year of heartache as i watched my dad pass away. it was the year i became an aunt to the most adorable, silly, amazing little boy named tyler. it was the year i was the closest i’ve ever been to doing my first pull up (!!). it was the year of many things…some wonderful, some unexpected, all of them just as they should be.

possibly my favorite photo of the husband and myself taken by the talented michelle lindsay photography.

(and i love that this photo says so much more about us about us and just how opposite we are than i could ever put into words :)

happy new years and cheers to 2014!