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9/8/14

resolutions for September + other randomness!!

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August was honestly a crazy blur.

I was anticipating only going to family camp in northern Iowa for a week..
- And then a dear friend got engaged which called for road-tripping to WI for a visit/doing her engagement photos!
- And then I was down in TN for a bridal shower for my almost-sister Kari (!!) with my Mom and grandparents!
- And then last weekend I was up in northern Iowa again doing a few photo sessions and attending a Labor Day picnic 
some sweet friends hosted!
Seriously -- I felt like every time I turned around it was time for me to leave again, haha!
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed road tripping around, but am also looking forward to letting my suitcase sit dormant for a bit. :)

So grateful that September will more home-y, but yet busy!!
And speaking of this month..I'M SO EXCITED FOR FALL.
#handsinairemoji
Like once September 1st hits each year I breathe this mental sigh of relief that
"hallelujah it is now publicly acceptable to wear boots, corduroy and beanies."
AMEN?!
I guess I just feel a little self-conscious wearing boots in the summer.
(and feel like people are mentally judging me or something) :)

Let's look back at my goals from July/August, and lay out things for this month, shall we?

personal:

do stuff that is relaxing. I did take time to do 'chill' things and not wrap my whole life around editing/emails/work stuff. 

So important to build rest into your schedule -- especially when you work for yourself!!
write 4 letters per week. Welllll, I wrote 7 total over the whole month. So there's that.

create one handmade project. My handmade project ended up being this...
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I recently was feeling like I really needed some inspiration for myself, so when my printing place had a free shipping sale I bought a bunch of prints in various sizes!!
When I've printed work for myself in the past, I typically just have gotten 4x6 prints..and so this time I got a few of those, but also other sizes like 8x12, 4x4, and as large as a 10x13!
Originally I taped these up on the wall with washi tape..and then they all fell down.
#reallife
So I hammered in a couple nails, strung some orange velvet ribbon and clipped them all up on here -- WA LA!
I don't know why I didn't do this a long time ago..because it has given me so much motivation and joy just having some of my favorite photos printed in front of me.

I also framed a couple..my Mom got me this wood frame at a garage sale, and the more I look at it the more I adore it..
especially with little Harper inside there. :)
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business:
go through inventory. I went through my packaging inventory, and am finishing this goal up within the next week here for September! Just have to place orders on a few things.

1 hour work session each day. When I was home (which wasn't much!!) this happened pretty regularly. It's amazing how refreshing it is to shut your phone off, block out the world and just WORK for a solid hour. 
Reminds you how social media/text messaging/etc is really not that important.

make headway in "Grow Your Handmade Business." Sadly I only opened this book once last month..but what I did read has impacted me a lot. Kari Chapin was talking about how you need to think of where you want to end up, and work backwards from there. 
[i.e. what can you do to channel your business NOW so it can look like you want it to in 5 years?]

Okay, September...

personal:

running goal. This goal is actually going to be until the end of November, but I'm just blogging about it now. By the end of this fall, I would like to be able to run all the way around a nearby lake without stopping, which is a couple miles. I'm definitely going to have to work up to this, as when I "run" it basically means : run for a short distance, slow down and power walk. (repeat) I used to get side aches when I was younger and ran for too long, so we'll see how this goes. But I want to shoot for this, anyways!

have fun with a secret project. I have a pretty exciting blog post coming up that I have really enjoyed working on so far..can't wait to post it!! Lots more prep to do with this, and sometimes I almost can't handle how stoked I am for it. ;)

business:

new locations. Planning to do some research into other locations in the area for fall sessions..LOVE shooting in new places, so I'm thrilled to look into this more. :)

practice. I know it won't happen every single day, but my goal is practice photography around my house as much as possible this month. Need to push myself!!

shoot 2 weddings + several sessions. This weekend I am second shooting a wedding, and then photographing my brother's later this month. Cannot. Wait. 

work 2 hours. Going to shoot for working 2 solid hours on weekdays, with my phone off/no checking internet, unless I'm conquering the e-mail inbox. My editing pile is becoming a mountain, and I'm taking dominion over that before I have a meltdown, ha!

So among other randomness, I just purchased the 35 mm 1.4 lens -- CHEERS!!
#confettiburst
In light of that, I am selling my Canon 24 mm 2.8 lens, if anyone is interested.
I bought it brand new from BHPhoto in 2012, as I wanted some type of wide angle since my only other lens at the time was the 50 mm.
I have very rarely used it, I've just kept it on hand as more an 'emergency' lens if I got in tight spots while shooting 
and needed something wider.
So it is in excellent condition, and comes with both lens caps and a lens filter I bought for it.
Selling for $250 plus shipping, and please e-mail me asap if you are interested in purchasing!
hannah@hannaheliseblog.com
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When I was in TN a few weeks ago, "for the first time in forEVER" I went to Anthropologie.
I have dreamed of going to this place for a very long time, and I almost couldn't believe it that I was walking through the doors.
*cue pixie dust*
What a store..so obsessed.
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I may have spent $50 there on these orange bowls, this belt, (and a couple other things that were gifts for friends) 
because obviously if it's your first time at Anthro, you're going to get something to remember the experience by.
#hello :P
And then when I got home I thought the bag of my purchases was lost, 
and praise the Lord they weren't.
Because, keeping it real, I almost cried when the bag wasn't found, 
(hey, I was worn out, $50 is a lot of money and this is Anthropologie items we're talking about)
but then I gave myself a pep talk that it was just STUFF, Hannah,
and people and memories are what matter.
Important reminders to have.
[And basically I've never been so happy to see a crumpled paper bag until that day, guys.]
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What are you excited about for September?!

love,
~H. Elise
connect on

1 comment:

  1. Loved this post, Hannah!! The photos, the goals...everything!!
    Haha...I totally agree with you about the whole boots thing! I tend to start dressing "autumn-ish" towards the end of the summer, as if layering on all sorts of sweaters and scarves, even in the sweltering heat, would actually help bring those chilly Fall days faster!! But HURRAY that it's actually here!!!!!!

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