OBSESSED

So it's been a while since my last blog. A lot of you know and has been so supportive, my husband was in the hospital fighting another infection due to his kidney failure. He's home now, doing great, catching up on his rest. I really appreciate all your prayers and concerns. Continue to pray that he gets a kidney transplant soon.

I thought it was time to do another installment of "OBSESSED". If you are a new reader, this is where I go on about things I've become totally dependant on. I have a completely obsessive personality and when I find things I love, I latch on and don't let go.

• I tend not to buy a lot of cds. Bryan prefers the downloading and making your own cds, but I'm an old school girl who likes to do things the old school way. So I bought a cd the other day. I figured I was due one, right!? Now I know a lot of you might totally bash me for my choice, but I can't help it! I guess you can say it's a guilty pleasure, since this isn't my normal type of music. KE$HA!! So catchy and raunchy and just good ole' fun. I have the songs stuck in my head the entire day! BLAH BLAH BLAH



• Its my bday April 30th. If you know me, you know how I am with presents. I will ask you what you got me until you cave. I think this is what my husband loves most about me (HA). So this year he didn't even play my game. He ordered it early, thinking it will take a while to ship, and it ended shipping the next day. Basing on my christmas present fiasco, (I looked at the shipping address and guessed what my present was), he decided just to show me what it is. I like this new method! It's a beaaautiful Emporio Armani peach, flowered watch. It needs a new battery, but that hasn't stopped me from wearing it!! I'm thinking of it as a bracelet for now. But ooops! Even though I knew what it was when I got it, I wasn't supposed to open it until my birthday. Boo that!

• ZOMBIELAND is out on DVD!!!! I saw this in theaters and thought this was one of the best movies EVER made!! Hilarious and scary, without being too scary (cause I'm a wimp). Very well done, and seriously, how hott is Woody Harrelson.. STILL!



• I'm loving TARGET for getting Zac Posen and other designers to do a line with them!! FANTASTIC!! Don't ask where I'd wear it, but I'm drooling over that red poofy dress. And who doesn't love the Liberty of London line?? Sooo cute!! It's too hard to shop because I want EVERYTHING!

I will be back in my home state May 3-13th! I can't wait to see my friends and family again. I'm getting the opportunity to shoot many of them! I'm going to have such an awesome time! Expect to see many blogs coming up!

Pietras + Miller Wedding

Congratulations to the newlyweds, Angela and Kenny Miller! I loved this couple! Angela was so down to earth, no nonsense kind of bride, but ALL FUN! Kenny reminded me a lot of Bryan on our wedding day. Sweet and charming, but running around, making sure everything is in its place and perfect. Their wedding was held at the St. Pete Garden Club, where they had the most beautiful arch with beautiful purple flowers hanging from it. (What are those darn flowers called?) Anyway, absolutely gorgeous wedding, both ceremony and reception. I look forward to working with this couple in the future!

Let's be real

I've been back and forth, trying to decide if I wanted to post this blog or not. It's personal, and it's from the heart. If you don't know me, I hope this gives you an insight to who I am as a person. I don't mean this as "preachy", just sharing my personal experience and goals. Thank you so much for reading!!

Starting a business has its ups and downs. It's very easy to get discouraged, and feel success is so far away. But it's cool how God works though. He always sends someone or does something immediately to lift me up. I've met some pretty amazing people in the past few weeks, in addition to my friends and family I already have that are just simply awesome. And it helps me open my eyes to a whole new perspective. I am just where I need to be at this point in my life. I am "here", and I will be "there" because He has only the best plans for me. Now, instead of being discouraged, I'm being encouraged and inspired beyond belief. So with that being said, I've made a list of personal and business goals for myself. Some of these will always be a work in progress. That is partially why I decided not to give myself a deadline for these goals. Also, because I want these goals to be on God's time. When He's ready for certain doors to open for me, I believe they will.

Professional

• Have atleast 2 weddings every month. I love love love weddings, and this is why I decided to start my career in photography.
• Get a wedding published in a magazine and/or http://stylemepretty.com, my favorite wedding blogsite. I urge you to check it out if you're engaged. So many beautiful ideas. And they are always updating!
• Grow my FB fans and blog subscribers to over 1,000 (search for Jessica Charles Photography on facebook!!)
• Shoot a destination wedding.
• When I'm "there", become a mentor to upcoming photographers. Help in any way I can.
• Be able to hire outside help.

Personal

• Get closer with God every day. I need to constantly remind myself "its not about me".
• Strive to be a better wife, and show my love more. I have the best husband in the world and I admit, I take him for granted.
• Be healthy, comfortable and confident!
• Run a marathon.. just so I can say "I ran a marathon"
• Travel more once my husband gets the kidney transplant he needs. (prayers are welcome)
• This may seem materialistic - which I know I am at times, but I want to be successful enough to buy atleast ONE pair of designer shoes. Christian Louboutins? Manolos?? I guess we'll have to see. ONE DAY!!

It's like chocolate...

This blog is for those people who are interested in photography and editing. This may be terribly boring for some, but for people like me.. this is like chocolate.

I was looking through sets of presets to buy, and was a click away from buying them when my husband showed me free ones I can download. That's my husband for ya. And I know he'd say the same thing about me... spending money when I can.

So anyway, you can find these presets and more for your lightroom at www.lightroomlibrary.com. This is just one of many many sites. Have fun exploring!!


the original


a-game 2


autumn storm


boondoggle 2

colorful HDR effect 1

creative catalyst 48

dark horse

drama club

fuzzy glow beauty

new vintage

go to

grapefruit burst

ph dramatic ocean

ph old school skintone

the prairie- my personal favorite

vintage 2 rounded corners

Which is your favorite?

Happy 1st Birthday, Hayden!

Meet the cutest little family on the planet. Michele, a friend of a friend, and now my new friend, wrote me wanting to do a Birthday shoot for her son, who just turned 1 year old. She said the word "cake" and I was immdediately excited. No, not because I was going to eat it, but because I pictured in my head Hayden smashing into a cake in the park, on a picnic blanket. It turned out SO CUTE!! And we had so much fun! After every sugar filled bite, he'd say "mmmmmmm". And no, it never got old. We laughed every time. It didn't take long until the cake came off completely the board, but who cares! The messier the better. :)

Here are some of my favorite pics from the day.

You can just see the "mmmmmm" coming from his mouth.

OOPS!

One of my favorite shots. I don't know if he's dancing, stretching.. but whatever he's doing, it's precious.. especially with that cake on the toosh.

Juice box!

What kid likes to be wiped with a wet towel?

So sweet!

To keep Hayden smiling, they brought a bubble machine.

Beautiful Michele

This picture cracks me up!! Look at it and tell me you're not smiling from ear to ear. Running down hill with a stick makes Hayden a happy boy.