There is Beauty All Around Us

I suggest playing this song while you read along

 

This past week, my maternal grandmother passed away. There's been a lot of confusion and sadness surrounding her death. 

Through this mix of emotions, I've been thinking a lot about mother-daughter relationships. 

So much of who I am is a result of my mother's love. Selfless, pure and unwavering love. My mom's joy for life is infectious. She's the type of person that leaves each place that she visits a little better off than when she arrived. 

Something that I admire most about my mother is her appreciation for the beauty of nature. She seems to notice every budding tree and blossoming flower in sight. On several occasions, I've seen her nearly drive off of the road just to point out hanging wisteria.

While my mom is struggling with the loss of her mother, I wanted to share some of the beauty that I've captured with my camera this summer. I always think, "Mom would love this!" when I see things so beautiful that they stop me in my tracks. 

I hope that these images can serve as a reminder that even in the most difficult of times, there is still beauty all around us.

Almond Pound Cake with Cherry Bourbon Glaze

It's been a little while since I've shared a recipe here, so I figured I would give you something to drool over. Fresh in-season cherries might just be my favorite fruit of all time -- reduce them on the stove top with sugar and bourbon and you have the thing that dreams are made of.

I can't take credit for this recipe. I found the recipe here and substituted dried cherries for fresh chopped and wine for bourbon.

Enjoy!

Catching Up

Proof that time stands still for no one. In what felt like a small amount of time away from blogging, so much has happened.

My hiatus solidified my decision to share myself here.

This blog is a place for me to document major family milestones and to share the beauty in our every day. It’s a space for creative release -- a blank page to write on. It’s been a safe place for me to share the thoughts inside of my head for nearly two years now.

What I think I love most about coming here is that it pushes me to live my life with intention. I notice more of my surroundings when I stop to think about how I would describe them to someone who isn't there.

The physical act of writing blog posts gives me quiet time to reflect on what’s transpiring in my life.

Sure, I could document these events in a private journal or scrapbook, but one of my biggest takeaways from keeping a blog are the connections that I’ve made. I’ve formed friendships with bloggers that have similar interests. What might mean the most to me, though, is finding common ground with friends or family members that I may not have otherwise shared so much of myself with.

I think a large part of what drives many of us to blog can best be summed up by a lesson that Oprah Winfrey shared in her final episode,

"I've talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation. If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now, I would tell you that every single person you will ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know: 'Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean something to you?’”

What I'm really trying to say is that I missed this place and all that it brings into my life.

A list of sorts and some images to document my time away:

An engagement (my sister-in-law, Sarah, to her now fiance, JJ)

+  +  +

A new baby on the way this fall (my brother-in-law, Zach, and his wife, Jenna)

+  +  +

Our littlest niece Ellie turned 6 months old. Where does the time go? 

+  +  + 

A new furry family member (my parents rescued Cooper a shih tzu maltese mix with an adorable underbite)

+  +  +

My sister, Brittany, and brother-in-law, Mike, broke ground on their new home

+  +  +

We celebrated mother’s day, father’s day, my Mom’s birthday and the 4th of July

+  +  +

My mother-in-law, Joyce, and brother-in-law, Adam visited and we vacationed in Wilmington

 Photo by Heather Cook Elliot

A Photography Filled Weekend

I was lucky enough to have three photo shoots over Memorial Day Weekend! The families that I worked with were a ton of fun - and might I add, extraordinarily photogenic.

I'm still editing these sessions, but thought that I would share a sneak peek of some of my favorites here on the blog.

Belongia Family (Keegan, Tessa & Elias)

Hall Family (Joe, Sara, Nolan & Sophia)

Saine Family (Chris, Michaelle & Chase)

A great weekend grilling recipe is up on my food photography blog. Check it out!

Inside of My Head

You may have noticed that I've been posting a lot of food photos here lately. You see, it all really started with this blog. I've always loved cooking, but it wasn't until I started photographing recipes for No Place Lyke Home that I found my passion for food and beverage photography.

Since my stay at Penland, I've been doing my best to keep on track with pursuing photography. It's not always easy. The fear and the doubt seep in and grip me really hard sometimes. Usually it sounds something like this,  you didn't go to school for this, there are so many talented people that have failed at this, you don't know what you're doing, you aren't even close to being where [insert photographer's name] is. 

I constantly need to talk myself off of the ledge. To remind myself how far I've come and that the more that I do this, the more I will learn. Have you heard that saying about not comparing your beginning to someone else's middle? I do it all of the time.

I think the most difficult thing about taking the leap to start my own business is that sometimes it can feel very lonely. Regardless of how much support or praise I get, I alone am responsible. At the end of the day I have to answer to myself. Did I do enough to source new business today? Did I put my best work out there? Have I truly done all that I can?

Even though I feel the busiest I've ever felt, I can't help but shake the feeling that people on the outside looking in imagine that I have loads of free time and wonder what I do with all of it.

When I'm in the middle of one of my spirals of doubt and self loathing I ask myself, Is this worth it? The answer has been (and I feel always will be), Yes. Without a doubt. I come alive when I'm behind the camera. It's worth all of the questioning, all of the knots in my stomach, the worry -- all of it. The thought of possibly working as a photographer full time for a living has given me such a sense of anticipation and excitement for the future. It's lit a fire within me that no amount of worry and anxiety can extinguish.

Now that I've taken the leap, I hope to have more patience with myself. I want my inner voice to come from a more constructive and less hateful place. I'd like to keep my critical eye while still allowing room for the occasional pat on the back when it's deserved.

I'm laying it all out there with the hopes that one day I will look back on this post and recognize how far I've come. I'm all about documenting this journey, so I apologize for my angsty tone and jumbled thoughts. It's what the inside of my head sounds like these days.