Call it getting "older and wiser" (yes, 32 counts as older) but I can say with 100% honesty that I've learned now more than ever that the real life is the beautiful life. I suppose the first inkling I had towards this revelation was a couple of years back when we had a duo named "Mark and Sunday" come photograph our house for a magazine shoot. (side note: I heard the photos were published but haven't ever seen them, ha!) Before Sunday arrived I had our house completely spotless. She then pulled props from here and there within my home and worked her magic, leaving the photos of my house looking magazine-ready. I have a deep appreciation for styled shots and this is even a creative outlet for me, as you'll see in the tablescape photos below!
However, most of life isn't photo shoot ready, at least according to the magazines. It's better. Our lives are all made up of a lot of mess, beauty, loud and quiet, questions and answers, highs and lows, doubts and certainties, love and loss, color and creativity. Real, beautiful, sacred life.
I learned a few years back that if I didn't start appreciating the people and beauty in my life, no one else was going to do it for me. The outside world certainly seems to tell us we need more. To lose more weight, earn more money, be more involved with social media. Yet when I began to look inward at what was right in front of me-those dimpled toddler hands, big grins, a best friend down the country road, little pockets of creativity ALL throughout my day, appreciation began marching in my life, one thought after another. My hallejulah's come in the form of photographs.
I simply adore capturing real, beautiful life. It's an honor I think every family deserves.
With this newfound appreciation I've developed has also come the excitement to serve my friends and family with my creativity. Of course, I must be honest and confess somedays my attitude absolutely stinks! I'm not appreciative of anything! But a lot of days, I get it right. I allow Jesus to make my insides come alive through Him and THAT is the key to really embracing my life as it is.
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." -Maya Angelou said this and as I reflected this weekend I had the thought the same is true of love. The more I use creativity and love for those God has entrusted me with in this season, the more creativity and love I have!
This weekend I had great fun naturally dyeing Easter eggs with the girls and forming a vibrant green wreath from branches found on the farm. Both creative, both full of love.
An honor I've been given recently is capturing other family's in their beautiful, real life. I have a limited number of spots available for spring/summer and it would be my greatest pleasure to do the same for you.
We can do a session at your house, with everyone gathered around the table,
playing,
reading books,
cooking together,
going on a walk,
or doing whatever your family likes to do.
We can also do a farm session with props like a picnic,
books and vintage quilts,
a tea set,
nature books and magnifying glass,
or any other idea we can come up with together!
The whole theme of any photo session I do is "real". These aren't sessions where we're constantly posing with arms and smiles just right. These are laid-back, being ourselves, having FUN kind of sessions. To book your own real, beautiful life session email:
sunshinebysara@hotmail.com
Great article and so true! The real life beats anything the virtual world can offer. I really enjoy your blog and the message you bring.
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