January 2020 Roundup – Detroit, Michigan

It’s official: the first month of 2020 is OVER. I feel good about it! Normally, the end of January is a panicky time for me. February 1^st would roll around and I’d feel overwhelmed by all the resolutions that already didn’t work out just one month into the year. However, this year things feel different. I don’t think I’ve ever approached the clean slate of a new year with such intention and balance. Real talk, 2019 was hard for me. I didn’t prioritize enough rest and worked myself to my absolute limits which I dearly paid for with multiple periods of burnout, being constantly sick, and accomplishing things seemingly by caffeine and pride alone. After all that, I promised myself things would be different in the new year. So far, these first 31 days in, things are looking real good around here.

 

Show Up

 

In case you missed my official new year’s post, in 2020 I am launching four themes to guide me through the year. The first of these is, Show Up. I intuitively felt that this would be the perfect theme for the first quarter for the year because it’s so flexible and forgiving. It can also be taken in so many different directions. Mostly, it’s just a reminder to present, conscientious, and purposeful. The area you choose to show up in is totally up to you! For me, I wanted to really focus on showing up in my relationship with my husband. Like I said, I really overworked in 2019. As a result, I did not soak up enough time with my spouse. What little time I did spend with him I was usually one hand on my phone answering emails. So, I made a commitment that I would be way more present in how I show up in our marriage. Which leads me to one of my other favorite things I started this past month….

 

#52MarriageMoments Launch

 

I wanted an excuse to make dating my husband as fun and fresh as it was when we first met in high school. So, I started making a list of 52 date ideas for every week of the year. Then I thought, “why not share this with all my brides/brides-to-be too?!”. Hence, #52MarriageMoments was born. I get to spend my whole life witnessing, documenting, and highlighting the biggest day in most peoples’ relationship. I wanted to highlight the simpler moments of relationships too. The breakfast, the date nights, the little things. If you want to follow along, come join in on Instagram! Every week, I’m posting a new date night prompt. Head out on the date, take a selfie, then put your phone away so you can show up for some quality, undistracted time! Share your selfie with me and everyone else by posting it with the hashtag.

 

New Website + Branding

 

You’ve probably noticed a different look and feel around here and it’s all thanks to Branded By Bernel. I heard her speak at the Showit United conference and I instantly knew I needed her for my business! Guys. I’m a photographer. Not a graphic designer. These last few years I have been scraping by with my limited skills plus a $20 logo from Etsy. It was high time to take my company to the next level and make my brand reflect the value that I offer. So if you have a few minutes, take some time to click around and explore my new website!

Morning Routine

 

If you’ve been reading these roundups since I quite my corporate job to do photography full time, then you know how I have been struggling to create my perfect work-from-home morning routine! Well, I’ve finally mastered it! Thanks to Matt’s new work schedule, we have been waking up together every day at 5 a.m. I am not a morning person. I don’t know how I’ve been doing this. But I’m liking it! Turns out, I’m actually pretty productive when the sun is still asleep! Who knew?

 

Bridal Show

 

Last August I decided to be a vendor at a bridal show, and it turned out that I LOVE bridal shows! They are a lot of work and can be a wee bit overwhelming, but I so love getting to meet newly engaged couples! They’re so in love, happy, excited, and they remind me why I love my job. So, this past month I decided to participate in the Great Oaks Country Club Bridal Show in Rochester, and it was so much fun. I met so many amazing fiancé(e)s, mothers of the brides, excited bridesmaids, and so many other great vendors. A special thank you Modernly Events for helping me create such a beautiful booth with these rentals!

 

Settlers of Catan

 

I’ll be honest. I used to think Settlers of Catan was like the worst game ever. I’m talking worse than Monopoly. When my sister asked me to buy it for her for Christmas, I teased her. But, turns out the joke is on me because now I’m obsessed with it. #hypocrite. We’ve now been doing weekly Catan game nights and it’s actually pretty amazing. Last week, we even stayed up until midnight playing with a lot of competitive smack talk and shouting. I might be the nerd that I used to tease now, but I‘m okay with it.

 

Thanks for reading along on this Roundup with me! I am happy to say that I am leaving January with as much enthusiasm about this new year as I had entering it. There are so many exciting things coming around the corner, I can just feel it. See ya later January, and hellooooo February.

 

Liv