It's the 3rd installment of MJ's Faves! I'm having fun sharing some of my favorite things with you each month. This month I've got some great ones!
#1 -- Dog photographer Erin Vey
#1 -- Dog photographer Erin Vey
This girl is stinkin' talented. Everyone loves dog photos and I am no exception. I love perusing Erin's blog to get my cuteness fix. She has a beautiful Great Dane named Gracie who is her inspiration and she just has a way of capturing what is special and unique to each dog. Erin is based in Seattle and I would SO love to get her out to Phoenix to take photos of me and Dixie dog sometime. Just added it to my 101 in 1001 goals list in fact!
#2 -- Piña Coladas!
#2 -- Piña Coladas!
I don't really like the taste of alcohol. But I could drink a piña colada per day. They are just cool, creamy, fruity deliciousness. This past weekend, on our way home from Jade & Amy's wedding in Utah, my assistant Sarah and I found ourselves in Vegas around lunch time. We hopped on over to Margaritaville and I was reminded how much I love this yummy treat! I thought it was worth a mention here in homage to the beginning of summer. Now I just need to figure out a way to spend a few days this summer sitting by a pool with my feet up sipping my cares away.
#3 -- Superfeet Insoles
#3 -- Superfeet Insoles
At the beginning of February I started having sharp pains in my knees. At first the pain only happened when I was running. I completely stopped running. But my knees felt unstable, weak and I still endured dull pain almost constantly; sharp pain intermittently. I lived with it for awhile, went to an Orthopedic doctor, then to a physical therapist. They said it was inflammation from repetitive motion and I did strengthening exercises, used ice and took anti-inflammatory medication. But nothing helped. Last week my chiropractor suggested that I pick up a pair of Superfeet Insoles for my shoes -- $35 at Sports Chalet -- and wa-la! My knee pain disappeared. After 4 months of pain and minimal exercise, I'm back to operation "get skinny." Needless to say, I'm in love with these little wonders. I also got a pair for my shooting shoes so I'm good to go on wedding days as well!
#4 -- Shower curtain pillows
#4 -- Shower curtain pillows
Years ago, when I moved into my house, I bought this beautiful shower curtain from Restoration Hardware for my upstairs bathroom. I loved it and it served me well for many years. Then my roommate - a dear friend who has since moved away - spilled make-up on it. The kind of make-up THAT DOESN'T COME OUT OF FABRIC. I honestly still can't believe there is such a thing. If it doesn't come out in the wash, I really don't want it on my skin. But that's beside the point. My shower curtain was hopelessly stained. And it was unfortunately also no longer sold by Restoration Hardware. So I got a different shower curtain. And instead of throwing the stained one out, I made lemonade out of my lemons. I hired someone to transform my shower curtain into pillows! They go great in my living room and I still get to live with the fabric I love.
#5 -- The seasonal nature of my job
#5 -- The seasonal nature of my job
Last weekend I wrapped up my 10th wedding of the year. This Spring has been amazing! I have the best job in the world working with amazing people on the best day of their lives!! And now I'm done with weddings until September!
You see, Arizona has a wedding season that is almost completely opposite from the rest of the country. Everywhere else they are just entering the busiest time of the year for weddings. But in Arizona we shrivel up and die from heat exposure if left outside in the summer for more than 10 minutes without a pool or air conditioning nearby. So most people wisely get married in the Spring or Fall. My slowest months wedding-wise are June, July, August, and surprisingly, January. In past summers I've had a few travel weddings but not so this summer. I just have an expanse of three months before me with nothing on the books. It's kind of nice, really. I love the seasonal nature of the wedding industry. There are times of crazy-busyness and then times to step back, regain balance and work on the larger goals that will make my business more profitable and more efficient during the busy seasons. So that's my plan for the summer - piña coladas by the pool, operation "get skinny" and working to check off some of the goals on my list! I'm thrilled for the possibilities!
You see, Arizona has a wedding season that is almost completely opposite from the rest of the country. Everywhere else they are just entering the busiest time of the year for weddings. But in Arizona we shrivel up and die from heat exposure if left outside in the summer for more than 10 minutes without a pool or air conditioning nearby. So most people wisely get married in the Spring or Fall. My slowest months wedding-wise are June, July, August, and surprisingly, January. In past summers I've had a few travel weddings but not so this summer. I just have an expanse of three months before me with nothing on the books. It's kind of nice, really. I love the seasonal nature of the wedding industry. There are times of crazy-busyness and then times to step back, regain balance and work on the larger goals that will make my business more profitable and more efficient during the busy seasons. So that's my plan for the summer - piña coladas by the pool, operation "get skinny" and working to check off some of the goals on my list! I'm thrilled for the possibilities!
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