Currently {birthday week}

Alright friends, I'm back this week. I am excited to take part in my favorite link-up, Currently, with Anne and Shea today!

Snacking on: hard boiled eggs. Random, I know, but I'm obsessed. I haven't taken the time to hard boil eggs in probably over a year. But way back then, I found THIS blog post on how to make the PERFECT hard boiled egg and seriously, it's amazing. My Grandma even swears by it now!

Anticipating: my birthday! It's officially a week from my 26th birthday and I'm getting excited! We won't do anything fancy on the actual day (it's a Wednesday) but apparently Caleb has some fun up his sleeve for next Friday! I'm looking forward to a fun, celebratory date night with my man!

Borrowing: the coffee mugs from work. They keep my (candy) coffee SO WARM!

Admiring: all my momma friends out there. You guys work SO HARD! I'm so exhausted after working 8-12 hours a day, your job is 24/7! Special shout out to my sister-in-love for putting on this fundraiser to help get new, educational books in the hands of some sweet kiddos in our area who are in foster care. If you have the means to donate, please consider, and if not, please just share that link!

Purchasing: not much, but we're thinking of getting a gym membership again at Planet Fitness. It's just so inexpensive, and although I can do a lot of workouts at home, there is something motivating about physically driving to the gym to put in a good workout! We'll see!

I hope everyone has a great Wednesday. We're half way through the work-week, friends!

Currently {June} Back to Reality!

I'm baaaaack! Vacation was so awesome! The week away from reality was much needed, but I'm still working on getting back in the swing of things over here in my world! I've made almost no time to recap our trip, so I'm hoping I can find time for that this week!

In the meantime, it's time for one of my favorite link ups - Currently with Anne and Erin!

Planning || my life. Seriously, so much going on over here. I always feel like I could use a vacation after my vacation, but it's true! I'm beat! Although I'm a little exhausted, Caleb and I have some to-do list items to take care of! Creating a new Summer budget, saving saving saving, meal planning, etc.!

Wishing || That there were a few more hours in the day. I hate getting home and feeling like my evening is already over. Time just goes too quickly!! I need to get better at prioritizing and making the most of those few short hours Caleb and I get together after a long day of work!

Learning || That I am not Superwoman. I cannot do "all the things" every single day, and I'm learning to give myself more grace when necessary (which, lets be honest, is a lot of the time)!

Browsing || All of your wonderful blogs. Trying to catch back up on everyone's!

Going || ...to be insanely busy until next Saturday. Let me lay this out for you. We have an out of town wedding this Saturday, another out of town wedding Sunday, then we come back that night around midnight most likely. Then Monday-Thursday next week Caleb and I are helping out with our church's annual Sports Camp after work every day...AND next Friday we'll work a half day at our day jobs then head to photograph another wedding! The only thing that is getting me through that craziness is the fact that after the wedding next Friday, we have EIGHT STRAIGHT WEEKENDS OFF. DID YOU HEAR THAT?!?! EIGHT!!!!!! I am so incredibly, unbelievably excited. Photographing weddings is something that brings me a lot of joy, but I am so excited for the first time in years to have a REAL SUMMER! We will have so much more freedom to do whatever we want - it's going to be glorious!!

I'm hoping to be back tomorrow with a vacation recap, and then hopefully I'll be back in my regular blog routine like I used to be. Thanks for sticking w/ me through the crazy! ;)

Currently || May

Happy May, friends! With it being the first Wednesday of the month, it's time for my fav link-up with Anne and her co-host of the month, Nancy!

Currently I'm...

baking || nothing really, but I would LOVE to be baking these again! I made them last year during my families annual "holiday baking day" and they were a hit with everyone!

listening (to) || lots of new artists. Sadly, Family Christian Bookstore is going out of business so they are practically giving everything in their store away. Their CD's were 80% off so Caleb and I snagged a bunch of new worship CD's for our upcoming roadtrip at the end of the month!

loving || my new DSW find. I'm always just buying the $16 Target black flats every few months when mine start to get worn down/old. Not that they are uncomfortable, but they definitely weren't made with much padding, or meant to be worn while on your feet for 12 hours at a time. I would come home from weddings with my legs throbbing! So Caleb finally convinced me to hit up another store instead so I stopped by DSW and O-M-G. I found a seriously NICE pair with so much cushion on clearance for $12!!! WHAT!!? Here's the exact pair I bought!

planting || absolutely nothing. I did get a succulent at a baby shower a couple months ago and haven't managed to kill it - so there's that!

remembering || what it was like to get our wedding photos back. I just delivered a full gallery to a recent bride and groom and her reaction was just the best. She was so insanely excited to get home and look through them with her new husband and it just made me remember how MUCH FUN that was nearly 4 years ago! I still cannot believe we're approaching our 4th anniversary this month! Time truly flies! #cliche

I really hope May has lots of good things in store for you!! 

Currently {April}

It's a new month and that means a new Currently link up with Anne and her co-host Jess! April has so much fun jam-packed in it, I'm excited to get it going!

I'm currently...

Accomplishing || a LOT of editing. I hunkered down last night and got a lot done, and it feels good to be on top of things!

Feeling || better. I've finally kicked that nasty cold and my headache is clear. Also this week I've really focused on eating better, and it's amazing what a few days of that and being more active can do for you!

Needing || a manicure. Like BAD. If you know me at all, you know I never have my nails painted - but once (sometimes twice) a year I'll get them done and I think I'm about due. Maybe I'll do it right before vacation!?

Practicing || getting more sleep so I can wake up earlier than usual and get in a good workout before I start my day!

Pinning || these adorable flower pretzels! How CUTE are these for Easter?! Every year (since we have hardly any Spring decor in our home) I'm trying to make a new Spring themed candy and pass them out to friends/family at church! These easter popcorn bars are in for a close 2nd place recipe, though!

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Caleb and I have a couple of consultations tonight after work, so while it's a long day for us, I'm excited!! Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Currently {March - already?!}

Well this morning was the exact definition of crazy. Both of our phones jolted us awake around 3:00AM due to severe weather in our area (flash flooding and the spotting of a tornado), so of course we go our main level to turn the news on. The meteorologist says to take cover if you live off of a certain main road (which we do), and then our power went out! So we sleepily went down to our basement and just stayed down there for about an hour. Around 4:00AM we were able to go back up to our bedrooms and fall back asleep. Fast forward to Caleb going to work. Since so many roads were closed Caleb's oldest brother couldn't pick him up at our house (they all carpool sometimes) so I had to drop him off at a local gas station, and we had to convince the traffic cops to let me cross through a barricade to come back home - luckily they were nice and understood our situation was unique! Needless to say, I'm tired. It was interesting taking a shower in the dark this morning and driving through a storm so bad I could barely see out my windshield but hey, I'm safe. Our families are safe. That is what matters! Let this Wednesday begin!

Phew! Now that that's out of the way - here we are with another month, which means another new Currently prompt from Anne and her new co-host Carrie! This is one of my favorite link ups because it always leads me to finding some fun new blogs to follow!

Currently I'm...
Watching: The Office (per the usual), The Man in the High Castle (we're only 2 episodes in since they are about an hour long each), and a lot of our Golden State Warriors since they are back from the break and have had some 7PM EST games! Woo

Eating: healthier foods! It's crazy how just a couple days of being healthier really makes your body feel so much better!

Saying: more prayers. The last month or so I've used my morning commute to unwind and talk to the Lord. It's been a great way to start my day!

Wearing: Lots of black pants. I have about 3 pairs that look identical, so I'm hoping no one in my office thinks I'm just not washing my clothes ;)  but really - the weather here has been so back and forth, and they are such a staple in my wardrobe (and real talk, I never feel like shaving my legs)!

Posting: more of our wedding photography now that we've had a couple of weddings already this year! It feels good to be proud of the work we're doing!

aaaand my co-worker just tossed me two free boxes of Thin Mints - DANGIT! Trying to be healthy here lady ;) at least they freeze well!
Have a great day, friends!

Currently {February}

February is here! This seems crazy to me. I shouldn't be surprised, every month goes by as quick as the last and I'm starting to realize that's just life! Anne and her co-host Erin are back with another Currently link up so of course, I'm taking part!

Currently I'm...

Packing: on the muscle ;) well, trying to at least! I worked out 17 times total in January and I can feel my body getting stronger day by day, move by move. Sure, I had a few off days but that's just life, and I'm learning to give myself some grace here and there.

Jonesing: for some cookies. I don't normally crave cookies in particular but this Girl Scout season is killing me! So far I've refrained from buying any boxes, but there's nothing in the world like frozen thin mints!! Am I right?!

Texting: my sweet friend Olivia. She was our bride model for the styled shoot on Sunday and I can't stop sending her sneak peeks. I try not to do that TOO much, so the "wow factor" is still there when clients receive their full galleries but I MEAN HONESTLY, how can you NOT share images like this?! So much beauty. She and Sean are too stinkin' cute!

Reading: like three books at once. I've got to just stick to one and finish it! I'm also trying to get back in my regular groove of blog reading!

Hearting: my hunk of a husband. Seriously, there are so many things I could say about him but I'm just so thankful he continues to love and pursue me day in and day out. This will be our 8th valentines day together - WHAT!?!! I'm pretty excited this year because I called dibs on planning our evening and I'm planning a fun date-night-in for us! I can't wait!

I hope everyone has a great day - make it count! I'll be back tomorrow with my goals post, and to find out how I did on my January goals!

Currently {first of 2017}

Back at it again with one of my favorite link ups from Anne and her co host Jessica today! I always love this Currently prompt; it's a fun way to look at what's been going on in everyone's lives!

Currently I'm...

Gathering: junk. We've accumulated so much crap since we've moved to our town home in 2015 that we can't wait to get a house and have a big ole moving/yard sale. We just realized we have so much stuff that we don't even touch, look at, or remember is there until we randomly come across it. It's funny because I feel like we have thrown away/donated SO MUCH STUFF but I swear, once you start throwing junk out, it's kind of addicting!

Making: new meals. It's been so fun cooking every night. Caleb gifted me a cookbook called "Date Night In" and the couples intro reminded me a lot of Caleb and I. Anyway, they make it a point to spend one night a week cooking together. We've actually been doing this a couple times a week since Christmas and I have to say its been so much fun. One of our goals has been to keep our kitchen table free of clutter and we're eating there together every night. Honestly most night's we just plopped on the couch with our plates on our lap and just stared into the TV; so this is much more intentional and we're both absolutely loving it! Cooking together has been a blast, too!

Sipping: a WHOLE lot of H2O. I'm basically trying to drink my weight in ounces everyday and then some. It's hard, but worth it.

Following: the Tone It Up gals! They have a 6 week New Year challenge going and while there are options you can pay for to "enhance your experience", they also have a free version you can follow. So instead of watching their workout videos, I just google whatever that days prompt is, so if it says 45 mins of cardio, I do just that! They also have a ton of free videos on their youtube channel/fitness section of their website. The 5 daily moves are INSANE. What's funny is I thought that would be the easy part. I yawned this morning, and felt a muscle I've never felt before. The only other time I've been this sore was after running a half marathon. OUCH.

Resolving: this goes with what I said above but Caleb and I truly want to take better care of ourselves this year. I feel like that's just a general goal and might be "cliche" but really, we don't care. We both have new journals and we're writing down everything we eat, all of our workouts, our energy levels, how we felt that day, etc.! I have to say, putting pen to paper and being more intentional with what I'm eating has made a huge difference in my attitude, and its only been 3 full days!

I'm excited to see where this new year takes us! I just love the thought of a clean slate in January! Hope everyone has a great day!

Currently {last of 2016}

It's crazy to think we are in December, and this is the last Currently of 2016 (linking up with the adorable Anne and her new co host Kellie today)! So much is going on in everyone's lives during the holiday season, and its fun to take a minute to look at what's going on in everyone's lives. 

So currently I'm...

Doing: some planning for a styled bridal shoot that will help build my portfolio to attract an ideal client! I'm super excited! I went to my second meeting with Tuesdays Together last night to talk details and I'm so excited about the inspiration for the shoots! We aren't having the actual shoot until the end of January but eek, I'm excited!

Enjoying: low key evenings at home with Caleb with the Christmas lights on, and popping in a movie. Seriously, the SECOND I get home I plug the lights in and keep most of the rest of the house lights off. It's dreamy. If only we had a fireplace! Another thing I'm enjoying? Reading. I've loved making time for something I love so much, and totally ignoring my to-do list some nights to make sure my soul is recharged.

Cooking: whatever we can round up. We put ourselves on a quick spending freeze for the week, and it's been kind of fun seeing whatever we have in the pantry and forcing myself to come up with something for us to have for dinner!

Wrapping: nothing. I have wrapped ONE present so far this year! We really do have most of our gifts for everyone this year, and for each other, BUT we need to get on the wrapping game asap so we don't feel overwhelmed! I'll never forget two years ago, I was wrapping like ALL of Caleb's the night before Christmas eve, ha (talk about procrastinating)! Our tiny apartment was so tight I banned him from walking in the hallway so I could finish everything in time. Ha! I love putting presents under the tree. Caleb and I always go out a couple days after Christmas to shop sales each year to stock up on gift wrap, so we have a lot of extra wrapping paper/tissue paper this year! Yay!

Playing: video games. Okay I haven't yet, but Caleb and I bought a couple video games on Black Friday and mine totally takes me back to childhood and I can't wait to play it with Caleb soon. We also have been playing a few board games; including "Scrawl" which I got as an add-on to his birthday gift. It's hilarious, look it up!

I hope everyone enjoys their Wednesday!

Currently || October

Happy October, friends! I feel like October really makes the whole Fall season official, you know? The weather here in Ohio has finally started to dip down, and we're seeing cooler evenings and crisp mornings. I love it! One of our favorite things to do together in the Fall is take late night walks as the sun goes down. I'm also looking forward to our church's Fall kickoff next week, they always have the best bonfires!

With another new month comes one of my favorite link-ups (by Anne and her co-host Jacqui); Currently!

So, currently I'm...

Cheersing || that we leave for vacation in 17 little days. Yippee!!!

Organizing || our lives. We have a LOT going on right now! Between work, weddings, church, trying to get our budget together, yadda yadda yadda, I'm just trying to make sure the living room is clean and presentable every day, and consider that a win!

Dreaming || of upgrading our cameras/gear. We are in a tough spot because we know that upgrading our gear will change the game as far as weddings/work flow goes, but we're also trying to pay off as much debt as we can. We're currently looking at everything we own find what we can sell so we don't have to dip into regular income to make purchasing at least ONE of the cameras happen! It's exciting and tiresome all at once!

Buying || nothing. Well, I take that back. Since our fridge broke, we're having to restock our freezer with all new meat. Ugh, it's super frustrating, but I'm trying to be thankful we're renters so maintenance will just come fix it, and we don't have to buy a new fridge! #silverlining

Listening || to a lot of Elevation Worship

Hope everyone has a great week. Caleb and I are gearing up for our last "double header" (aka back to back weddings in one weekend) of the wedding season and picking back up an old devotional together. Love that man! Have a great day!

Currently {September}

Here we are again, another new month, another post where I talk about how fast time flies. But really, its crazy isn't it?! At least this is the best time of year. The summer heat starts cooling down (although pretty sure the high is 90 for today...hurry up Fall!) and the crisp evenings begin soon! I can't wait. Time for another monthly round up of Currently w/ the lovely Anne and her co-host Beth!

Currently I'm...

Reading...Uninvited, by Lysa Terkeurst! I love this woman! Ever since I watched her speak at a Women's Conference in 2011, I've been a fan. She gives such great advice, and has a heart for the Lord. This book is amazing so far, and I can't wait to finish it!

Trying...to really get a grip on meal planning. Writing things down and being intentional with what we're going to have has really helped. I have been going through our pantry and picking out ingredients that we already have to minimize what we spend at good ole' Kroger! I'm trying to mix it up between low carb, seafood and some kind of meat so we don't get bored!

Hoping...that my Bengals can pull off a WIN this Sunday! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about our upcoming season. I feel like our guys are more motivated than ever and I'm excited about some of our new additions (I see you Tyler Boyd). I may or may not have already laid out my jersey in preparation!

Decorating...my planner. Also, trying to find cheap Fall decor for our home! Usually my "decor" for Fall consists of putting out a new candle and maybe a cute sign, but I'd like to add something else to the living space this year! Loving this Pinterest find!!

To-Do listing...anything and everything. Literally. Laundry, meal prep, deep cleaning our bathroom. I plan to use a LOT of our free Saturday for productivity!!

Hoping everyone has a great Wednesday. I don't know about you, but I could get used to this 4 day work week thing! ;) 

Currently: August edition

Hearting: allllll the fall booties I saw in Marshall's this weekend. It's not too early to invest in a pair, right?

Watching: The Office. We've probably run through the entire series twice this year. Which probably equals our 9th time, ha! It's crazy that it never gets old. #thatswhatshesaid

Exploring: ways to save more money. Caleb and I have decided to really cut back on a lot lately and its been fun to take a look at our budget more in depth and really see what it is we can cut out. I'm having second thoughts on cable again. We survived our first year of marriage without it, I know we could do it again.

Creating: more time to be still. I have to force myself to schedule time after work to do nothing but go home and just BE. It feels great to let God create something new in me, in the stillness of my evenings. Also creating, beautiful images for my awesome couples!

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Eating: lots and lots and lots of soup. I haven't felt this terrible in a long time. It's some sort of awful cold, paired with coughing and sneezing, runny nose then congestion 4 seconds later. Hoping it goes away by this weekend. I have a birthday to celebrate soon!

Linking up with Anne and her co-host Dana today! I love the prompt this month, ladies!

Also, a big happy birthday shout out to my Dad today! Hope its your best yet, Dad!

Enjoy your day, friends!

Currently!

I love these girls (Anne & Jenna) for always hosting this monthly link up. When my blog brain fails me, they always save me! Summer seems to be a slower time for bloggingin general, and you'd think with all the sunshine/activities the creativity would be oozing out of me but nope. Not a bit!

So, currently I'm...

Toasting: the fact that after this weekend, Caleb and I will have photographed 8 weddings in a row, and FINALLY get a 4 week break. As much as we love this side gig, it absolutely wears us out working 6 days a week. So we're more than ecstatic about some uninterrupted time together to do whatever we want!

Going: to Tennessee at the end of the month for our teens annual camp trip! We are SO excited for another exhausting, emotional, crazy fun week with our teens!

photo from our trip last year  when we went white water rafting!

Smelling: the Victoria Secret Bombshell perfume that I'm almost out of... reminder to get more!! I usually always just wear "body mist" or whatever I can find cheapest at Bath and Body Works but I found this perfume on Black Friday back in 2014 for $18 and I'm JUST NOW running out of it so I'd say that was totally worth it!

Wearing: a hand-me-down from my bestie. When I went to visit her in TN earlier in the year she had an insanely huge pile of clothes she was giving away so I went through it and took a few staples!

Wishlisting: our dream camera(s). So, the Best Buy in Dayton has really stepped up their game and has an entire DSLR section now with more than just "basic" cameras. They even hired employees from Canon, Nikon and Sony to talk specifics with you. It was so fun getting to actually FEEL the camera in your hands, not just look at it online. While we're definitely not ready to pull the trigger just yet, it got us both insanely antsy for when that DOES happen!!

I'm also totally wishing we were in Hilton Head already... sure, its not until October, but let the countdown begin! 108 days! ;)

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday! 

Currently {in May}

Hi friends! I can't believe its only Wednesday right now. Feels like it should be Saturday already! ;)
With another new month comes another Currently link up with Anne & Jenna!
So, currently I'm...

Celebrating: The marriage of Ashlee and Luke! Last Friday, Caleb and I made the quick trip up to Columbus to witness their marriage. It was such a sweet, emotional ceremony and the wedding details were amazing. Ashlee is a photographer so I knew her attention to detail would be amazing! Also celebrating? In 21 little days - our 3rd anniversary!! Whaaat? Time flies.

Reading: more of my Bible. Some of the verses I'm randomly opening to are hitting me like a ton of bricks. I love that feeling!

Pondering: how to better organize our bedroom and the rest of our home. Last night when we got home, the cleaning bug just hit us both and we tore our place APART. Getting rid of stuff, throwing out old containers, realizing we didn't need TWELVE baking sheets, dusting, doing laundry, etc. Caleb took care of the kitchen while I focused on our bedroom and laundry. It feels SO nice to go to bed at night with a clean home.

Sipping: less coffee, more water. I'm not even a huge coffee fan - but our office is FREEZING in the morning so I sometimes just make a cup of french vanilla (with too much sugar/cream - because is there any other way to drink it?!) to keep me warm. I'm trying to get my water intake up, though!

Going: who knows where. We're still planning where our next vacation will be...but I'd really like to get that narrowed down ASAP. I need it on the calendar to look forward to!!

Any other Star Wars fans out there? I'll be honest, I never understood the movies. But last December during our stay-cation, we watched ALL SIX in one week and they made a fan of me. May the 4th be with all of you ;)

Have a fun day, friends!

Currently {April}

Making: vacation plans. Like I mentioned yesterday, Caleb and I have to choose a vacation spot and have so many options. We've tossed around the idea of California, Jamaica, Hilton Head, Virginia. It’s SO hard to narrow down when there are so many amazing places to choose from. I’m sure it will come down to where we can get the best “bang for our buck”. Any suggestions?

Wishlisting: that a magic fairy would come into my life and leave a huge pile of money so we can finally be DEBT FREE. We’re getting closer, but there’s still a lot left. Other than to be out of debt, I’ve been eyeing these super fun meal planning/grocery list pads, and these fun watercolor pens! So I can try - but probably fail - at making cute watercolor prints on my own!

Cleaning: our entire home. The basement (constant laundry and clutter), our fridge (I can’t help but clean it every single time we do groceries), our pantry (throwing out expired stuff), etc.! It feels SO good to clean and get rid of everything! Spring just puts me in the cleaning mood.

Posting: randomly. I am trying to keep up with at least 3-4 blog posts a week. Somehow, I feel like spring gets the creative juices flowing in me, but it also brings a lot of busy-ness for me! But hey, at least having a lot on the calendar usually means more blog material, right? ;)

Tasting: lots of fruit and vegetables. For some reason, I can’t get enough lately. I believe I ate the largest blackberry in existence yesterday. I even sent Caleb a picture, this thing was as tall as my index finger!! On the flip side, I plan to be tasting my fair share of wedding cake these next few weekends!

I hope you all have a fantastic Wednesday! Make it count!
Linking up with the adorable Anne and Jenna for their Currently series. It's always one of my favorite post prompts! 

Currently: not the way I saw this week going.

Wishing: it was time for vacation already. Caleb and I get to venture off to Hilton Head with my family once again! It's been way too long since we've all been able to get together and even though its only March right now, I'm so ready for July and the family time we all get to squeeze in during that one little week. We laugh so hard we cry, we swim until we're wrinkly, and we just have the best dang time together. Family is truly the best....and so is the island that is Hilton Head.

Craving: An upgraded camera. Caleb and I have our eyes on a couple new cameras and we're working crazy hard to get out of debt so we can save up and get those bad boys!!

Going: to the Auto Body shop to get an estimate on how much it will be to fix my car. Oh joy! Someone (with a Denali the size of my cubicle at work) hit me yesterday. Pretttyyy hard. She pulled out of a restaurant and wrecked into the passenger side of my car. Luckily she took full responsibility and it'll be covered in full, but it was still pretty scary! I've never been involved in an accident like this so I was a little shaken up. I'm just thankful we're both okay, other than a little stiff neck. I just can't wait to get my baby (aka my car) back!

Wearing: the comfiest work pants ever; my fav black skinnies! I feel like I'm cheating the system at work when I wear them. New York & Co for the win!

Learning: patience. Things don't always work out in OUR timing, but I'm realizing that its okay. God has a better plan for me than I could imagine for myself.

Our evenings at home have been super low key this week, and I pray it stays that way. If I'm being honest, I'm currently excited for this weekend! Not one single plan in the books, and I plan to spend a TON of time with my stud of a husband!

Happy Wednesday, friends!!
(Linking up today with Anne and Jenna for March's Currently series!)