Kelsey Tice Photography

1. Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred – Oh my gosh. I can’t believe I’m actually referencing this workout video in a post about love… I might be officially crazy. Yesterday, I completed my 15th consecutive day of the 30 Day Shred, and while I HATE it while I’m doing the video, I have loved seeing how it’s improving my strength. It helps when you don’t have a single ounce of strength to start with… No where to go but up! If you’re thinking about trying it out, I recommend doing it with a friend. My friend Crimson and I are having a little contest of sorts, which has been SUPER motivating on the days I am tempted to skip.

2. Maybelline Baby Lips, Quenched – I’ve actually written about Baby Lips before, and I still love them! If you’re like me, being in the sunshine during the summer is not good to your lips. It seems like they burn so much easier than the rest of my skin, and I have no idea why. Because of this, I HAVE to have a good SPF lip balm/chapstick for the summer, and Baby Lips, Quenched does the job! It has SPF 20 in it, but it doesn’t have that nasty sunscreen taste like many others.

3. Canon 35mm 1.4L – I got this lens about a month ago and have been able to use it for a handful of sessions and a wedding. I love how wide this lens shoots because it is perfect for family and reception shots… A great purchase for any wedding photographer!

4. Dr. Scholl’s for Her – Okay, I’m officially grossing myself out by talking about feet on the blog, so I apologize. It’s nearly impossible to find a pair of shoes that will be comfortable enough to carrying me through an entire wedding and still look cute. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll never be totally pain-free while shooting a wedding, but these shoe inserts help A LOT. I paired them with a cute pair of Old Navy flats in nude that I recently purchased, and they’re now the perfect wedding-shooting shoes! (Or as close as I can get to perfect!)

5. Bistro Chalk Marker – Writing with chalk has got to be the most frustrating process of all time… I remember working on our chalkboard timeline for our wedding and almost throwing the stupid thing on the ground because I could NOT write with the chalk to save my life. It was breaking, smearing, the chalk dust was getting everywhere, and I didn’t have a fine tip to work with. When Holly, the world’s most talented cookie-maker, Instagrammed about her new chalk marker, I knew I had to pick one up right away. Let me tell you, this thing makes writing on a chalkboard about 200x’s easier and prettier! I got mine at Hobby Lobby for less than $5 with my 40% off coupon!

What are YOU loving these days!?

Happy Tuesday!

Is summer really almost here? I can’t believe how quickly April flew by, but trust me, I’m not complaining! May is going to be such a great month…. I can’t wait for all the weddings, trips to Florida, East Arkansas, and Kansas City, and the warm weather! Bring it on, summer!!!

April’s BUSINESS Goals

1. Open a checking account to keep all of my business funds separate.
2. Continue to blog consistently. 4-5 times a week seems to be perfect (and realistic).
3. Shoot lots of engagement sessions! 
4. Shoot two (maybe more) bridal sessions! 
5. Shoot my first wedding of 2013! Can you tell I’m itching to shoot?? Seriously, winter is the worst.
6. Stay on top of editing! This hasn’t ever been a strong suit of mine, but I’ve greatly improved my turn-around time in the last 6 months.
7. Order 2 Canon 600 EX-RT’s for wedding season!
8. Buy the Canon 35/1.4L. I’ve been lusting over this lens for so long now!

It is a GREAT feeling to be able to check off ALL of April’s business goals. High-fives to me!

April’s PERSONAL Goals

1. Continue to work out 4x’s a week. I’ve actually been going to the gym about SIX times a week and am on my 15th consecutive day of Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Pretty proud of myself for that!
2. Eat fruits and veggies. I’m pretty good about fruit, but the only veggies I like are green beans… Out of the can.  Not perfect, but better!
3. Take personal pictures! I’ve done a pretty good job with this the last week, and I need to keep it up.
4. Use my crockpot more. I’m sick of the recipes with cream of chicken soup. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
5. Get ready for the day. This one makes me sound like Queen Lazy, but whatever… Working from home has lots of benefits. One of greatest ones being the ability to stay in your pajamas all day. I kind of did okay on this one? Okay, I’m lying.

And for the month of May….

BUSINESS

1. Rock out two awesome weddings with even more awesome couples!
2. Shoot a few engagement sessions.
3. Continue blogging 4-5 days a week.
4. Read Jon Acuff’s new book Start. It was one of my birthday presents from Aaron. :)
5. Re-do my About Me section of the blog, and maybe get some new bio pictures taken.
6. Perfect reception lighting with my new Canon 600 EX-RTs!
7. Invest in the Canon 100m 2.8L Macro. I’ve been putting this one off for a long time because it would only be used for a handful of pictures, but I don’t know how much longer I can get by without it!

PERSONAL

1. Enjoy my trip to Florida in 3 days!!! I CANNOT WAIT! Yes, Arkansans, you can be jealous.
2. Continue going to the gym at least 5 days a week and finish 30 Day Shred without missing a day.
3. Get ready in the mornings. Maybe if I write it twice, it will happen? :)
4. Spend at least 30 minutes a day reading.
5. Enjoy our quick trip to Kansas City at the end of the month to see the Royals and Angels play.
6. Learn how to sew a pillow cover. I realize this is the EASIEST sewing project of all time, but I can’t seem to master it. Talk about a wife failure.
7. Plan meals out a week ahead of time. I’m pretty sure I’ve had this goal in the past, and with May being so busy, this would be incredibly helpful!

And because every post is naked without a picture, you get to meet sweet Hudson this morning! He was born one week ago today and is the first baby for our awesome friends that are in our small group at church. I might have melted a little bit while watching Aaron hold him… :) :) :)

Happy Monday!