Story of My Life

Surprise 28th

2015-01-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

I've been meaning to write about my beautiful surprise birthday party for, oh, over a month now... but you know, busy-ness and the holidays and excuses excuses excuses. On this dreary Monday morning, however, I've finally gotten to it, and I'm having such a nice time reliving this oh-so-sweet evening.

On Decemeber 5th, I turned 28, which is weird all unto itself, seeing as how my twenties are creeping to a close and in some ways I still feel so young and others I feel so old. In some ways I feel so accomplished, and others I feel so panicky for not being further along. But that's another post for another day.

Also on December 5th, a few friends threw me a surprise birthday party, which was, indeed, an actual surprise! In the last year or two, I've grown close to a beauty named Brittany who started her own event rentals company (Birch & Brass Vintage Rentals) here in Austin, of which I've helped to photograph the inventory over the course of many sweaty photo shoots and hundreds of beautiful pieces. Brittany is so, so good at styling perfect tablescapes and vignettes, and I always wished I knew her before our wedding or some other excuse to have her style an event for me.

Well now, thanks to her expertise and kindness, I have this incredibly perfect little party to look back on fondly, much thanks to Shalyn's gorgeous photos of the evening. I was so in shock that night, I barely took in all the details. Another reason that photography is so important: to capture and freeze time so you can go back and enjoy special moments over and over again.

There was fried chicken and other southern-style comfort foods (my absolute favorites), rum punch (another fave), cake and cupcakes and doughnuts (because you KNOW I love my sweets), a ridiculous piñata I had to whack about 47 times before it finally broke, and karaoke and quality time with sweet friends I was so grateful to for taking the time out of their Friday night to attend.

Thank you so much, Brittany, for one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me, and to Celine & Justin for hosting and for handling all of the mess that comes with that, and to Shay for taking the most beautiful photos and creating the most gorgeous little placecards, and to Kelsey & Jona, John & Kirsten, Kate, Emilie, Federico, and of course Matthew, all for attending.

Here's a few photos from the evening... thanks for stopping by today!

It's that time of year again...

2014-11-24T08:41:00.000-06:00

You guys, it's that time of year again! Every year my favorite people over at Photography Concentrate have a KILLER Black Friday sale (which has already begun!) on their amazing photography tutorials, and as per usual, I have to tell you all about it.

While I AM a member of their affiliate program, helping to promote these amazing learning tools is the most natural thing in the world to me - a perfect partnership because I TRULY believe in these products and have used them and benefitted from them myself, long before I was an affiliate. Going through the tutorials was the single best thing I ever did to jumpstart my photography, in particular the Extremely Essential Camera Skills tutorial (which effectively teaches you to shoot in manual mode and understand the ins and outs of your camera) and the Super Photo Editing Skills tutorial (which teaches Lightroom and which I'd have been LOST without).

I remember I paid $99 for a four hour Photography course here in Austin a few years ago, and I left feeling almost as confused as when I came. Then shortly thereafter, a photographer friend of mine that I admired recommended Extremely Essential Camera Skills, and I went home that same day and looked it up. Besides her recommendation, the tutorial really kind of sold itself. I purchased, went through it in a few hours one afternoon, and it was like a lightbulb went on. I switched to Manual mode and never looked back, and so began my long and illustrious career.... I kid, I kid. ;) But really, it's incredible what these tutorials can achieve for you in one afternoon or evening. You could literally spend hundreds or thousands on classes and still not "get it" as quickly and efficiently as with the Photography Concentrate tutorials. I really believe Rob & Lauren (the husband and wife team behind P.C.), are natural-born teachers and designers, which makes their tools as useful and truly priceless as they are!

Anyway, enough of MY rambling. If you'd like to check it out, HERE is the main page with all the fun info about the sale, awesome giveaway going on, and links to all the various tutorials. Below I'll leave links to my four favorite tutorials, as well. Their already super-affordable prices are now DIRT CHEAP, and won't be priced this way again until next Black Friday week, so get on it! ;)

PS - I forgot to mention, the Really Easy Retouching tutorial is literally worth its weight in GOLD. I went through it just this last year, and learned for the first time how to do "compositions" or head swaps in Photoshop - I can't believe how many amazing photos I've been able to salvage since then that I otherwise would have lost (one family member looking away or blinking, etc), and I can't believe I lasted so long WITHOUT knowing how to do it!

Here's all my favorites...

EXTREMELY ESSENTIAL CAMERA SKILLS

* * * * *

SUPER PHOTO EDITING SKILLS

* * * * *

REALLY EASY RETOUCHING

* * * * *

INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT COMPOSITION SKILLS

Way too many pictures of me and my dogs

2014-11-19T09:59:00.000-06:00

Last month my sweet, sweet Gracie and Cooper turned nine whole years old, and we had a veritable little party for them, complete with a doggie cake, party hats, presents, and lots of pictures. I had been thinking a couple months ago about how incredibly special it would be to me to have professional photos that capture the bond I have with these dogs… they aren't getting younger, and all that. To some it may seem silly, but allow me to try and explain.

Gracie and Cooper have been in my life for nearly a decade now. I watched them, along with their full litter of nine pups, BE BORN, and named them, and took care of my little Gracie when she was sick and almost died of Parvovirus. The full story of these two is right over here, if you ever have a spare minute or two to read it. Long story short, it's practically a miracle how these babies are even together and in my life, and over the years, they have been with me through 5 homes, two boyfriends (one that became a husband), college, a career change, life changes, deaths in the family - you name it, we've been through it together.

I wasn't always as close to my dogs as I am now. I don't remember feeling the same way about them when they were younger as I do today. They used to be kind of terrible - destructive, badly behaved, and just not as bonded to me as they are now. Time and age does that to you, or at least you hope it will (soften your edges, calm you down some, strengthen your bonds with the people you love). But today, and I don't think it's my imagination, but today we are as close as humans and animals can be. In tune with each other, and able to communicate actual love and companionship. These dogs, and interestingly, Cooper in particular (the black and white one), have the purest, most selfless souls. I really think he is the closest thing to an angel I've ever felt in my life. Maybe someone, somewhere, knew how much I would need his sweet little spirit.

Anyway, I could never really express how much I love my babies. I can't imagine my life without them one day… it's something that I shed tears over on a fairly regular basis. (As I wrote in another post, it's the cruelest joke of all that man's best friend doesn't live nearly as long as man.) But these photos. These photos! They will live forever. I asked my dear friend Shalyn of Love, The Nelsons (amazing wedding photographer, y'all!!) if she would be so kind as to capture some sweet images for me, and she blew me away with a beautiful gallery that truly bottled up the love I feel for these little ones. I will cherish these forever.

Here's just a few of my favorites (OK, more than just a few)… thanks for stopping by. :)

Get Away to The Prairie

2014-09-18T08:47:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago Matthew and I got the incredible news that he had been offered a great job as an attorney here in Austin, and those of you following for a while now may appreciate the long and winding road that took us here… it feels SO good to finally reach this elusive "place" we've been waiting to be. PHEW. Maybe now life will take on some semblance of normal.

Before he officially started the job, we took off on a little getaway to Round Top and The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell, which is a piece of heaven on Earth, if you ask me. It was really generous of Matthew to take me here, seeing as how it's not exactly the most masculine place ever. ;) I just have to share a few photos of this gorgeous spot… if you ever have the opportunity to stay here, DO IT! So dreamy. I can't wait to go again.

The Hundred Event

2014-08-22T11:29:00.003-05:00

Welp, I like to arrive fashionably late to most parties (don't want to seem over-eager, you know), but my timing here is bordering on ridiculous, so.... I figured I better talk about the Hundred Event before it's a good HUNDRED days later!

Photo above by Awake Photography

Two weeks ago, my friend Brittany (of Birch & Brass Vintage Rentals here in Austin) and I packed our little bags and headed up to the Dallas Warwick Melrose for a weekend at The Hundred Event. She supplied the vintage china, glassware, and manned the floral arrangements all for the Sunday Brunch, and I offered up my humble knowledge of photography for two 101 classes on Saturday, as well as helped photograph the Sunday Brunch and headshots alongside Shalyn.

The weekend was a whirlwind and I hardly know how to tackle my thoughts on it all. I am introverted and extroverted in equal measure, in that I love being around people while in the moment, but I find it all very draining and need plenty of alone time to recharge afterwards. The weekend consisted of meeting some of my long-time favorite bloggers and friends (looking at you, Bridget, Megan, and Dayna!), meeting lots of fabulous new-to-me faces, public speaking and the natural anxiety that begets, and plenty of general socialization and high-strungness that are always a bi-product of these types of conferences. Like last year at Texas Style Council, I found myself outrageously bad-tempered for a good three days after I got home - the low that often comes immediately after the high.

But one thing I can certainly say I took away from this weekend (besides a super shitty mood) was a reminder of why I'm still so fond of this platform we call Blogging, and how GOOD it has been to me in my life. While I've become all-consumed by my photography business lately, my first love is still writing and social media, and the Hundred Event weekend was a needed reminder of that.

At this point, rather than re-cap everything in great detail, I think I'll just leave a few photos from the weekend and link you all to some of the truly incredible brands that sponsored the event. Seriously, I'm so impressed by these guys! And to Grace, Lauren, Megan, and Bridget - thanks for putting together such a fun weekend for all of us to enjoy. You did a fabulous job, especially considering that this was your first time putting on a conference, and I know all of us are hoping it will be a yearly thing! :)

^^Brunch at the beautiful Aldredge House^^

^^cakes by Cake Walk^^

^^Vintage Rentals by Birch & Brass^^

photo above by Shalyn

Brands to browse: Joules // Minnetonka // Love Ophelia (softest and best robes ever!!) // Twine Interiors // Lily Jade // Bungalow Magazine // Peacock Alley //

and awesome donations from:

Lily Jade // Minted // Meg-Made // Fancy Face // Laura Ashley // The Giving Keys // White Plum // Design Darling // Sonnet James // Shop Strands // Pame Designs // Susan Posnick // Artifact Uprising // Lulu & Georgia // West Elm // Blowfish Shoes // Minnetonka // Tech Armor // Maison Miru // GiGi NY // Heidi Klein // Boden // Modern Celebrations // Knotty Tots // Jennifer Anne Styles // Whole Parenting // Little Dovie

Things I don't miss (about blogging)

2014-07-11T09:24:00.001-05:00

Dress here from Target

I have become what I hate. That blogger that always blogs about how much they don't blog. UGH. But really, it's been a couple months since a style post or a post with any photos that definitively prove I'm alive and my blog hasn't been taken over by robots, so I thought I'd make that happen.

Since I've cut back on blogging dramatically, a few things have happened, the most notable being that I am actually much happier and more at peace with my life. I never had any major complaints about blogging, and I don't regret the years that I was really committed to pumping out multiple posts per week, but now, it simply doesn't quite fit into my life the same way it used to. Maybe someday it will again. But for now, here's a few things I've come to realize that, well, I DON'T miss...

1. Constantly feeling like I need new clothes for "outfit posts." I mean, seriously. How do you fashion bloggers do it? I know you get a lot of free clothes, so I guess that's mainly it. But I always felt like every time I got a free shirt, I needed to go out and buy a new skirt or pair of pants to match it, or a new pair of shoes to match that free dress. Bottom line, I suck at fashion blogging, and didn't really enjoy it, and can't tell you how refreshing it is to wake up every day and put on a shitty outfit and just not give a shit.

2. Along those same lines, begging people in my life to take "outfit" photos of me, which often didn't end well. It's no secret, I'm mainly referring to my husband here. The man hates everything to do with pictures. Both being in them and taking them. Ironic, since he's married to a professional portrait photographer. So it was this constant ridiculous struggle:

Me: "Babe, I need outfit pics tonight."

Matthew: "Noooooooooo NOT AGAAAAINN!!!"

Me: "You're so unsupportive of my blog! Why are you such a jerk! Other blogger husbands love taking pictures of their wives!"

(? - unsupported claim, needs further research)

*Fight breaks out*

Yup, don't miss that.

3. Comparing lives. I've really never gone down that path too far (thankfully), though I know some people really struggle with it. But it's easy. It's easy to read a blog and see that peephole view at someone's curated reality, and be like, "well CRAP! My _____ (life, blog, wardrobe, home, design skills, husband, bank account, timeline-for-starting-a-family) SUCKS compared to hers!" I've experienced it a couple times, and it's a slippery slope. Lately, I've truly enjoyed simply living in MY life for a while. Appreciating it, working on it, truly being in it.

4. Trolls. Critics. Assholes. You all know the ones I mean. I'm not all that sensitive - in fact, compared to some people, I have the skin of an alligator. I wish everyone would like me, but I know that's not possible, so when I hear about someone who doesn't, it stings for a second, but then reason weighs out and I'm like, "....mehhh." But still. I've truly enjoyed living my offline life and not wondering what misguided conclusions bitchy strangers on the Internet are drawing about me.

5. Pretending like I have something to say when I don't. I can't tell you how many times I cranked out a post that had no heart behind it, just to meet a quota and appease my sponsors at the time. I know a lot of my readers saw through that. And I'm happy those days are behind me. Although now, I seem to have the opposite problem. I have plenty of things I'd love to write about, but I'm mostly just too lazy to do it (or too busy, really. J. Noel Photography keeps me on my toes these days).

Having said all that, there are probably equally as many things that I miss about blogging. I will always have a soft place in my heart for this medium and all the good it has brought into my life. I haven't given up on it (obviously!), but our relationship has changed. Lately I've seen blogging as a whole from a bird's eye view versus the view from in-the-thick-of-things, and it's helped me to reevaluate and move priorities around. I'm lucky to be able to do that now, since this blog is no longer my primary source of income.

Anywhoo. Happy Friday, my friends. Thanks for reading today. I appreciate you, and hope you have an excellent weekend!

Smoothie Obsession

2014-07-08T09:55:00.001-05:00

Smoothies! Can we talk about them for a minute?

I have this weird and possibly annoying personality trait that requires that I share, nay, SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS, when I discover something eye-opening or life-changing or otherwise wonderful. So naturally, I feel the need to share my smoothie obsession with you in hopes that you might experience this eye-opening, life-changing wonderfulness too.

I am one of those many people out there in the world who has a hard time eating enough fruits and vegetables because, well, I just tend to prefer the salty crunchy snacks and things like bread and cereal and, you know, stuff that does basically nothing for your health except keep you alive and slogging through every day, never feeling your best and certainly never feeding your body the best. Sound familiar?

A couple months ago I decided to start replacing breakfast with a nutrient packed smoothie, mainly because I wanted to lose the 3-4 pounds I had gained and I thought this would be a great way to start each day on the right track.

Now fast forward two months, and I am STILL having my daily morning smoothie, and I can honestly say they've kinda changed my life a little (a wee bit dramatic, but true!). Just this simple act of starting my day on the right foot helps set the tone for the rest of the day, and of course the nutrient-dense salad-in-a-glass itself gives me this punch of energy and overall motivation to continue clean, fresh eating throughout the rest of the day. I lost those few pounds, saw great improvements in my skin and moods, and generally feel much lighter and like my body is working at top capacity instead of always plugging away on its lowest setting.

The wonderful thing about smoothies is that they incorporate the finest, freshest ingredients, and there is literally no end to the variety you can enjoy each day. All of my smoothies are "green" in that they include a nice handful of some type of leafy greens, but they are sweet and easy to enjoy because they also incorporate delicious fruits and natural sweeteners like honey or agave nectar. Depending which fruits you throw in on a given day, your smoothie may be more of a sludge color then a pretty green like in the first above photo, but sludge-color or no sludge-color, it will still be delicious and nutritious and you'll be doing your body a huge favor.

While smoothies are definitely filling, you'll be hungry again a couple hours after breakfast, so have some healthy snacks planned to get you through to lunch. My current favorite mid-morning snacks are:
+ Whole grain toast with smashed avocado and sea salt
+ A handful of dried figs
+ A handful of raw nuts like almonds or walnuts, with a little fresh or dried fruit
+ A healthy muffin
+ A small bowl of muesli or granola with milk or yogurt
+ A small bowl of healthy cereal

As for smoothie recipes themselves, there are literally endless ones you can find on Pinterest and other sites (here's a whole slew of them!), but I find that this is a pretty fool-proof group of measurements you can use to make one single smoothie that fills a mason jar:

1 cup of coconut water or milk-of-your-choice. I rotate between unsweetened vanilla almond milk or rice milk and coconut water
1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit
1/2 frozen banana or 1/2 small avocado
1/4 cup yogurt (I prefer vanilla Greek yogurt for protein content)
Sweetener to taste: Honey, agave nectar, stevia, chopped dates (I put about 2 tsp of honey in each of my smoothies)
1 to 2 Add-ons:
Bee pollen (1 tsp)
Chia Seeds (1 TBS)
Hemp seeds (1.5 TBS)
Ground Flax: (2 TBS)
Ground Cacao or Cacao Nibs (1 TBS)
nut butter
cinnamon
turmeric
vanilla
ginger
..or any number of other super foods and power-packed ingredients you can learn about online and purchase at health food stores or more health-conscious grocery stores!

Here's a great graphic I found on HERE that basically illustrates what I just wrote above:

It's important to remember that you really can't mess up a smoothie, so don't be intimidated. Some will be thicker than others, some will be thinner than others, so just adjust accordingly if needed (add ice, frozen fruit, or yogurt to thicken, or add water/milk to thin). I think it's more enjoyable to drink them with a straw, so have some on hand!

Here's my current favorite smoothie recipe, since peaches are so delicious and in-season right now!

Peach & Greens Smoothie
3/4 cup coconut water
1/2 cup ice
1 whole, very ripe peach cut into chunks (de-pitted, of course). I prefer it un-frozen because it's more flavorful
1/2 frozen banana
1 packed cup or handful of spinach (or Kale or Collards)
2 tsp honey
1 TBS chia seeds
1 tsp bee pollen

Blend in a blender and enjoy :)

You'll never waste fruit again - just freeze anything you have that's about to be over-ripe, and use it in your next smoothie!

DO IT! :)

Photoshop tutorial for portrait photography

2014-06-23T10:14:00.002-05:00

Rob & Lauren over at Photography Concentrate have done it again. Those two are seriously the photography tutorial ninjas, and they have finally provided an incredible Photoshop tutorial. (Where was this two years ago when I first started learning Photoshop?!!).

You've heard me talk about Extremely Essential Camera Skills, Super Photo Editing Skills, and Incredibly Important Composition Skills. The first two were a huge part of my education before I started up my business, and I thank goodness for those and the way they helped me learn my camera and Lightroom so quickly and so easily. LIFE (and money) SAVER.

I went through their newest tutorial, Really Easy Retouching with Adobe Photoshop, and even though I've been using Photoshop retouching techniques for two years now, I still learned so much I didn't know before. For example, HEAD SWAPPING. When you're photographing families with young children, it is damn near impossible to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time. One of the videos in this tutorial explains how to seamlessly bring a head over from one photo to another, to complete that happy, smiling picture where all family members at least APPEAR to have been fully cooperating. ;) No more throwing out otherwise perfectly good shots because I don't know how to head swap!

Other techniques addressed in the tutorial are as follows:
+ Photoshop skin retouching such as brightening undereye circles and smoothing skin/removing blemishes & shine
+ Brightening eyes and whitening teeth
+ Removing distracting elements in your background
+ Slim down chins, arms, waistlines, etc
+ Composite images (head swaps!)
+ Photoshop shortcuts and other tips on layers, masks, and panels

This tutorial is worth every penny and absolutely perfect for the new portrait photographer looking to save time and money on their photography education. Check out all Photography Concentrate tutorials here, and go here for more info on Really Easy Retouching. It is currently 30% off through June 30th only (this coming Monday), which makes IT UNDER TWENTY DOLLARS! That is insane, you guys.

GOOD LUCK! :)

PS - Did you know you can download a free 30 day trial of the latest version of Photoshop HERE? (top right, blue button!)

You can also download a free 30 day trial of Lightroom HERE (again, top right, blue button!) My favorite editing software is Lightroom, and I use it for about 90% of my editing, however, Photoshop IS necessary for certain types of retouching, unfortunately!

Lifestyle Revolution

2014-06-17T08:46:00.000-05:00

I have been quiet lately. In some ways I’ve been aching to get back to this space and express again, and yet there is so much keeping me busy and fulfilled in the other parts of my life, that I don’t need it here like I used to. There are seaons and this is just one of mine.

In this particular season I am undergoing a strange transformation and I think it’s called maturing into full adulthood. Maturing into full adulthood for me, though, has had interesting side effects, and I can honestly say that I am happier in this time of my life than I’ve ever been before. So much of it has to do with opening my eyes and educating myself about nutrition and health, oddly enough, and I’ve hesitated to really express it here lest this blog turn into post after post about, well, FOOD.

I’m not really sure how it happend. I guess it all started with some food documentaries we watched several months back. One was about Veganism (called Vegucated), and I can’t remember the other one but it was about farming and the importance of supporting local farms and really getting aquainted with your food - making it personal. Now, I don’t really have plans to go Vegan, but YOU GUYS. I beg you to educate yourself, TODAY, THIS WEEK about the common factory-farming meat practices in this country and our world. Ignorance of it is not OK and it’s not an excuse. It is absolutely discpicable what we do to animals raised for food, and I was forever changed after aquiring this knowledge. After watching Vegucated, I cried. Hard. And didn't sleep well for days. I was devastated by what I learned, because my heart is for animals. I was sickened and horrified and so sad that I’d been ignorantly buying in to this system my whole life - as are so many others of us who simply don’t want to know. It’s a system that will only be perpetuated unless as many of us as possible do what we can to make a difference (and the simplest, easiest way is with our dollars - the products we buy at the grocery store).

Yes, this maturing into adulthood I mentioned has had a great deal to do with opening my eyes to the world I live in and not simply being a blind consumer. As I’ve inched away from my old, disengaged way of being, it’s as if blinders have come off and I can suddenly see the way I used to fumble around in the dark along with most other Americans, feeding my body absolute shit that contributed to my terrible PMS and bad skin, as well as supported a system that tortures animals and treats them like machines that feel no pain, suffering, or fear. There are tears rolling down my cheeks as I write this, because that’s how passionately I feel about it and that’s how glad I am to no longer be feeding my body with FEAR.

Besides what I’ve learned about animal cruelty in food production, I’ve learned other interesting and helpful things, about gardening and farmer’s markets and bees and healthy, whole foods straight from the Earth. We’ve had decent luck with our first organic backyard garden, and food has become so much more personal to me, versus this soul-less thing you buy at the grocery store and often let go to rot in your veggie drawer because there’s just no connection there. We waste so much less now because A) we can’t afford it due to the new way we grocery-shop, B) we’ve developed a taste for fresh, healthy food, and C) much of it is coming from our own garden and that’s just cool.

I’d like to talk more about all of this - I have so much to say about it, but I felt like I needed to generally introduce this topic first, then tackle smaller topics down the road. Basically, when something changes my life in such a positve way, I want to spread the word! I want you to experience this too! But obviously I can’t force anyone to care, I can’t make it be magically the time in your life when you’re open and available for this information and the eventual lifestyle change that follows. But I can plant the seed, and I can tell you it’s really nice on the other side. I’m nowhere near where I want to be in my knowledge of living a healthy life and supporting humane practices, but it’s this thing I’m pursuing every day and learning a little more and a little more about.

I encourage you to watch documentaries like Vegucated, Earthlings, and Food Inc. I haven’t seen the latter two yet, but I’ve heard they are very compelling. Those will give you a push in the right direction. Just watching THIS TRAILER might be all you need to make a serious change. Like us, you may not be willing to go full vegan or even vegetarian, but rest assured there ARE ways to remain a meat-eater but not buy into cruelty that exists in the meat industry. I’m compiling a list of things I’m now doing to help make a difference, and will post about it ASAP. Stay tuned…

Summer Orzo Salad AKA An Explosion of Delicious

2014-06-03T10:31:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I make a really share-worthy meal, and this is one of them. I wanted to find a yummy, cold summer salad, and this is an adaptation of one I found and changed around a bit. Matthew and I are completely obsessed with it. It may look un-assuming, but believe me it's not. One bite, and you'll get it.

This recipe can be served as a side dish or a complete meal. We like it as a complete meal, and leftovers for lunch the next day are just as delicious. Hope you try it! :)

Summer Orzo Salad

Ingredients for the dressing:

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice

1 tsp Honey

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

Ingredients for the salad:

12 oz Orzo Pasta

6 cups Chicken Broth

3-4 medium chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper (may be omitted)

1 TBS Olive Oil

2 cups Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, halved

3 TBS Chopped Fresh Basil

1 cup Baby Spinach or Arugula, chopped

1 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

1/2 cup Pine Nuts, toasted in a dry skillet (toss often, they burn quickly!)

Directions:

- Cook the orzo in chicken broth until tender, according to package directions (I don't add any extra salt).

- Dice your uncooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and sauté on medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.

- While orzo and chicken cooks, dice up your tomatoes, basil, and spinach or arugula. Set aside.

- Toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, watching them carefully and tossing often. Set aside to cool.

- Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside.

- When orzo is done cooking, drain it and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick together - this is important!

- When orzo and chicken has cooled, you may mix everything up, but wait until just before serving to add the pine nuts.

-May be served at room temperature or cold

Enjoy!

Serves about 8 as a side dish or 4 as an entree

Then & Now

2014-05-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

This morning I decided to do a little "then & now" exercise in regard to my photography, just kind of for the heck of it and to see how far I've come. Even I was a little surprised - it's been so long since I revisited my very first photo shoots. I was surprised, and then I was humbled.

I SUCKED. The composition was bad, the editing was ~~bad~~ effing horrible, I was shooting in an automatic mode with a crappy kit lens, and I basically just had no clue whatsoever what I was doing. And this was just two and a half years ago!

Exhibit A:

I know. The "then" is pretty ghastly (not the adorable family - just my terrible photograph!). The funny thing, though, is that I received SO much praise and encouragement from family on those first photos. I remember setting up a slideshow to show off my first photo shoot (the session in the "then" photo above, which was with gracious family members, thank God!), and my family ooh-ed and ahh-ed and told me how beautiful the photos were and how much potential I had. I was absolutely beaming and so proud of myself.

And now I look back at those photos and basically want to scratch my eyeballs out.

But like I said, it's so, so humbling. It's easy to forget our beginnings. It's easy to forget that we ALL start somewhere, and it's not at a place of perfection. It's a place of amateur fumbling, guessing, making all the wrong choices, making mistakes, displaying our weaknesses. And constantly pushing to learn, grow, and get better. That's the key.

Exhibit B:

I am so guilty of judging beginners too harshly, and this morning's little "exercise" pushed me right back in my place. If friends and family had been completely honest with me instead of so damn encouraging, I would probably not be where I am today. I would have shriveled up into a little ball of shame and embarrassment and lack of confidence in my amateur abilities, and I never would have grown. But the wonderful, kind, uplifting people in my life saw a glimmer of talent in me, and more importantly passion for the work, and they grasped on to that and propelled me forward with their kindness and words of affirmation.

And we all need to do the same. When someone in our life is just beginning something, even if we know better and know they suck right now, it's our job to lift them up, not tear them down. Because everyone starts somewhere, and it's not always very pretty.

In two more years, I bet I'll look back at my work now and notice all the flaws. The things I hadn't learned yet, the things I could have done better. But right now, wherever we are in our journey, it's important to be proud of what we're doing, how far we've come, and how much we've learned. Your only real competitor is the person you used to be.

Things to do in Austin: McKinney Falls State Park

2014-05-16T10:25:00.002-05:00

The other day I met a high school senior client at McKinney Falls State Park for her session, and I was totally blown away by the location. I vowed to head back ASAP to explore, and last weekend Matthew, my mom, and I spent a morning there hiking. Matt always makes fun of me for over-using the term "heavenly," but in this case, I feel it's quite a fitting adjective. This park is just gorgeous and so much fun to explore - featuring everything from the ruins of an old homestead, to Indian Rock shelters, to 500 year old trees, and that's not to mention all the general gorgeous wildlife and, this time of year, an explosion of spring flowers. If you're in Austin, I highly recommend making a trip out there. Bring $6 per person for the park entrance fee, plenty of water, bug spray, comfortable shoes, and maybe a picnic. Lots of people swim in various places, too, so you might want to bring your suit!

Here's a few more photos from our outing...

Life, in Bullet Point Form

2014-05-12T10:44:00.003-05:00

--Remember Blog Every Day in May? This year I am doing Blog No Days in May. It's awesome, you should try it.
--I feel the need to ease back into this. Hence, the bullet points.
--I think I may have forgotten how to write. All creative energies have been channelled elsewhere. (See what I've been up to here, if you're curious).
--[Insert grunting noises and poor grammar.]
--Matthew is officially an attorney. He received his bar results, and he passed! Was sworn in by the Texas Supreme Court Justice he interned for over the fall. Pretty sweet.

--Yay Matthew! :)
--On another note, I have been feeling so unhealthy lately. I haven't really gained any weight, but all I do is sit on my computer and work work work. I am brainstorming ways to whip myself back into shape. I don't like feeling this way.
--Easter was nice.
--Mother's Day was nice.
--Spring has been nice.
--Matthew got a summer clerkship/job that pays real money... we are excited and confused by this concept.
--That is all.

Congratulations on reading the most boring and ridiculous blog post of all time. I'll try to be better next time.... ;)

Spring Things To Do In Austin - Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

2014-04-24T08:20:00.000-05:00

I posted about the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center way back when in 2011 (incidentally, it's also very interesting to see how much my photography has changed since then! ha!), but it was worth another post this year. My dear friend Kristin was in town all week, and I knew she would love this gorgeous place. It's in full bloom right now, and I highly recommend making it over there sometime in the next month or so. The trails are really beautiful to walk too, so bring some comfy shoes, some water, and your camera, and maybe make a little morning or afternoon of it. We ate at the Wildflower Cafe there for the first time last week, too, and it was so sweet and adorable and delicious. Would love to go back during a slower day when people are at work and kids are at school, and just sit and read or write with a cup of tea or coffee.

Happy Thursday, my friends!

Incredibly Important Composition Skills

2014-04-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a great Easter weekend! Today I'm a bit busy with guests in town, but I wanted to drop in quickly and let you photography enthusiasts out there know about the new Photography Concentrate tutorial just released. It's on sale right now for a few more days, so if you're interested, get it while it's hot!

I'm sure many of you have heard my recommendations for Extremely Essential Camera Skills (best little investment I've ever made), and now a sequel has been released called Incredibly Important Composition Skills. You can know all there is to know about your camera, but if you can't compose a really stand-out photo, you'll always be a sub-par photographer, unfortunately. I felt like this tutorial was super helpful for bloggers, too, who may just want some pointers on taking beautiful photos for their blog. Definitely check out the page detailing what this awesome tutorial includes, and see if it might be the right thing for you! I was incredibly impressed with my copy, but would expect nothing less from Rob and Lauren over at Photography Concentrate. If you're looking to learn photography or amp up your current skills, please do yourself a favor and peek through all their tutorials HERE.

Have a great day! :)

By the Bay

2014-04-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend we took a nice little two day trip to the Texas coast with Matt's parents... it was a perfect little getaway, and of course I snapped a few photos while we were there.

I am busy getting work done before an out of town friend arrives this week, so I'll keep this short and sweet today. I have missed blogging lately. Oftentimes while driving in the car or soaking in the bath or working on other things, the urge to write and be creative will hit me, but what's lacking now is the time or perhaps just the desire to make the time. I'm happy to have this space still here for me, though, like an old friend available for a chat over coffee whenever life permits.

Hope you're all having an excellent week...

Gracie & Cooper review their first PetBox

2014-04-15T09:19:00.000-05:00

Gracie and Cooper were so thrilled when the kind folks at PetBox sent them over a box to sample. They each have a little something to say about their experience, so I thought I'd give them the floor this morning. Take it away, kids.

Gracie (the brown one):

"First of all, we'd like to apologize for our Mommy. She never blogs anymore, and she also doesn't walk us nearly as much as she should. Just look at how fat Cooper is, if you need any proof.

Second of all, and most importantly, I knew this "PetBox" was something special before Mommy even opened it. It smelled quite good. I, however, was most interested in the Platypus toy. And least interested in the shampoo and conditioner. In fact, Mommy tried to wash us with it after these photos were taken, and I escaped. Cooper, however, just sat there and took it. He is a pansy."

Cooper (the black & white one):

"I am sorry there are no good photos of me. If I am doing something cute and mommy tries to take a picture of it, I immediately stop doing the cute thing and run away. I learned this behavior from my daddy.

As for the PetBox, it was awesome! There was food and treats and medicine for if we get hurt. There was a toy, but Gracie never lets me have any toys. There was also shampoo and conditioner. I don't like being washed, but I do love all the hugs and kisses mommy gives me when we're done, and that she can't stop smelling my fur. I love mommy."

So there you have it, folks. We really enjoyed our PetBox. If Gracie and Cooper didn't do a good enough job of convincing you to try it, here's some fun facts:

- PetBox is currently the only customizable box of premium pet goodies, for both cats and dogs

- All products are made in the US

- For every PetBox purchased, a rescue animal is fed

- It’s the only customizable subscription box where you pick what’s in it

- Toys and treats are customized by dog or cat size

- Every Friday, PetBox sends out a huge shipment of dog & cat food to a rescue shelter – picked by PetBox fans

Happy Tuesday! :)

Back at the Ranch (+A Wildflower Study)

2014-04-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was my first time back at the ranch in over a year... I missed the place, I really did. Spring is my favorite time there, and I really enjoyed scavenging for wildflowers and documenting each kind I found. Things were a little sparse due to lack of rain in the area lately, but in another couple weeks I bet the place will be overrun with life.

I've learned to put my camera down lately and just enjoy moments for the most part (or, rather, I've had to adopt this practice lately to save myself even more editing than what's on my plate regularly for my business!), but here's just a few more shots from our weekend...

^ sifting dirt for arrowheads (we didn't find any... bummer) ^

^ do you spy anything slithery in this picture...? ^

^ these antlers are exactly where the buck that shed them left 'em! ^

"Blackie" the friendly piggie and her babies

Redefining Style

2014-03-31T10:08:00.000-05:00

Shirt & Skirt: Urban Outfitters

I haven't really bought clothes in ages. We're in the home stretch before Matthew gets his bar results and hopefully gets a job, and there just isn't any extra to spend on non-essentials for a little while. You kind of get out of the habit of non-essential shopping, and I'm so busy with work that I haven't really had much time to think about what I'm missing.

As this blog has changed from profitable to more just-for-fun, I've stopped accepting new advertisers, and the less-committed feel which I'm sure now comes across has slowed down offers for courtesy-of clothes, too. Meaning, if I want new clothes, I'm going to have to buy them myself (welcome to the rest of the world, right?). Not complaining. In fact, it's actually really refreshing. I'm redefining my own personal style, and I have the opportunity to wear only what I really love.

I think you'll probably notice a bit of a difference from now on, at least in the images that appear on this blog. I feel like so much of who I am is changing and maturing and just undergoing a bit of a redefine. And that's healthy. I don't think humans are supposed to stay the same. It's aaaallll good.

The beginnings of our garden

2014-03-20T08:32:00.000-05:00

I still want to talk about the food revolution we experienced after watching those documentaries, but I just haven't quite had time to formulate my thoughts yet. I can say, though, that said "revolution" invoked a desire to grow our own food (or, more accurately, our stupidly high grocery bills have done the invoking), and we have now started our very first backyard garden. We don't really know what we're doing and so we're crossing our fingers we don't kill everything we've planted, but so far it's been a really fun thing to do together as a couple and we are so excited to eat food that we grew from babies and feel more of a connection to.

This nursery in the photos is called It's About Thyme, and we've really, really enjoyed the couple of trips we've made there so far. Everyone is so helpful and the plants are actually cheaper than at places like Lowe's or Home Depot. We thought it would be the other way around. It's also a really fun place to snap some gorgeous photos. I am falling more and more in love with plants and gardening and all things pure and given to us by the earth. We all really need to rekindle our connection with our planet, and I think for us, it's starting with reconnecting to the food we eat. So far it's been a nice journey.

And in our own backyard.... if all goes well, we'll have tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, squash, zucchini, arugula, some kind of fancy lettuce, turnips, strawberries, basil, parsley, and mint. :)

Thoughts on parenting

2014-03-17T09:34:00.001-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to photograph a birth, and it was the most beautiful thing and has absolutely left me changed - to have witnessed such a monumental thing and also such a basic thing of life. Wow. I can now say I have seen someone be born and I have also seen someone die. Someone entering this world and someone leaving it. Weird and amazing and full circle and certainly makes you think about mortality. Anyway.

Back in December I reached the ripe old age of 27, and as of last month, Matthew is 34. And we are childless. Not due to infertility, though I know that could potentially be an issue down the road, especially since my eggs aren’t getting any younger and all that. Nay, we are childless because, up until now, we have not been ready for a child, for various reasons that I will not delve into here today.

Family members have been reasonably patient and non-pressuring in regards to our child-free-status, until recently when Matthew’s grandmother expressed what has likely been on everyone else’s mind. We were at Christmas, and I was holding a cousin’s baby while Matthew sat beside me watching it cautiously. His grandma walked by, stopped short, raised her eyebrows, and said, “Do you need instructions on how to make one of those?” Our anniversary card from her this year also contained similar sentiments. A spitfire, that woman, gotta love her.

The truth of the matter, though, is that we are both so torn about children and parenthood and all that it entails. Having a child involves a certain amount of dying to self, which means that at some point in the process I, for one, would likely have to relinquish my status as the most selfish person I know.

Also, I already have trouble completing all my tasks for the day, between running my business and running a home and running a meager social life, and if we were to add a child into that mix, I know something would have to give. It would most likely be my business, which makes me really, really sad. Because it fulfills me and gives me so much joy and confidence as a human being. Everything I read about motherhood seems to say that your children become your everything. You live them and breath them from dawn to dusk and then all throughout dusk, too, until it’s dawn again. There seems to be such little time for anything else outside of parenting, and that prospect has just not been attractive to us so far.

I guess I just want to be comfortable and at peace with how my role will change when we become parents. There is nothing wrong with being a mom without much time for anything else. It’s natural and normal and good. But is it good for me? That’s what I’m trying to figure out.

Truth is, I have baby fever something fierce, and if I got pregnant tomorrow, I’d be beyond excited. But that dying to self part? Not too excited about it. And I wonder… can you be a mom, and a good one, and still have time for your own interests? And still maintain a strong identity outside of your children? And still run a successful business? Or is it one of those things where there’s like three categories but you can only pick two? You can’t have all three without making major sacrifices in each department?

All I know is that I’m happier now than I have ever been. More sure of my direction and, well, myself. My relationship with my husband has finally come to a place of peace and evening out, and we kind of just want to enjoy that for a while. So for now, we remain childless. And a bit terrified of being parents. But I think we both know that our family is missing someone, or multiple someones. We know we’re on the edge of some vast precipice, but just haven’t quite gotten to the part where you take the leap.

Life Lately

2014-03-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Life has just been so nice lately. The other day, after Matthew finished the bar, we had a weekend all to ourselves, and it was just pure bliss. One of the days was absolutely beautiful... the perfect 72 degrees with a breeze and not a cloud in the sky. So we all went outside, my little family of two humans and two fur babies, and we sat under the tree in our yard and painted pots to put my succulents in. I know, I know... succulents are oh-so-trendy and I am usually annoyed, by default, with oh-so-trendy things, but oftentimes things are trendy because they're wonderful, and in this case, I feel that succulents are just wonderful. They are such beautiful little plants, and there's so much variety, and they are hard to kill. Massive bonus points for being hard to kill.

Anyway, I sat on a towel under that tree, with my husband and my babies and my cardboard box to paint our pots on, and it wasn't Pinterest-worthy or necessarily even blog worthy, but it was perfect and I think I've done so much growing up lately, to be able to see and fully appreciate the beauty of my own life, and to be fully present in the moment without having to Instagram something or blog it immediately as if its existence on social media makes it somehow more valid. Lord knows, I don't judge anyone who loves to share on social media. Been there, done that, still doing it. All I'm saying is, for me, I've found quite a bit of peace lately, in just living my life a little more quietly, and enjoying the things and people put before me a little more fully.

Here's a couple more photos from our sunny day. Happy Wednesday... :)

Hope Riley Calligraphy {shop spotlight}

2014-03-06T07:30:00.001-06:00

Even though I'm phasing out most advertising on my site, I'd still like to occasionally highlight great shops I've worked with or I love... and today, I'd like to introduce you to lovely Hope Riley Calligraphy. Hope is the artist behind my new J. Noel Photography logo and the logo for my boudoir site, once I get around to finishing it! Here's a little peek at both, if you haven't seen them yet:

my website in action...

and the gorgeous logo I'll be using once I branch off with a separate boudoir site...

Hope is so talented and an absolute doll, with bonus points for being really determined to do right by you. I'm a pretty picky client when it comes to things like this, and she was so kind to patiently work with me to get my new baby logos just so. If you're in the market for some custom calligraphy, whether for wedding invites or a logo or some other project, check out Hope's website and if you'd like to place an order, contact her here first. She is also kindly offering SOML readers 25% off their purchase - sweet! :)

Dolce Neve, Austin

2014-03-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

The other day I got to try out a new little gelato spot here in Austin, Dolce Neve, and it was to. die. for. It had all of the marks of my favorite places in town: super great aesthetics, locally owned, friendly staff, and oh so yummy. Austinites (or visitors!), I'd recommend this spot most highly! Add it to your list! :)

See other Austin recs here. :)

Hello, March

2014-03-03T08:36:00.000-06:00

^^proof I'm still alive. This was taken on a walk this morning, during the March Arctic Blast of 2014 here in Texas. Giant puffy winter coat not shown. Vest from Stitchfix.

Woah. March came quickly, y’all! I’ve missed you, I really have, but it’s been so nice to wake up in the morning without that panicky “what the bleep am I going to blog about today?!” feeling. Other more responsible bloggers have their posts planned and scheduled days in advance, but that has never been me. I require a sense of slightly frenzied urgency to get things done in life, for the most part. For example, I had an entire month to pre-blog things for March, and I’m writing this on Thursday afternoon, February 27th. Which I actually feel is a small triumph considering it isn’t Monday morning, March 3rd, when I plan to post this. :)

Anyway. February was a busy month! Let’s see. There was Matthew’s birthday and our anniversary and Valentine’s Day and the law Bar exam for Matthew, which is obviously a huge deal and signifies the end of the end of law school, assuming he passes. Now the poor guy has two months of solid freaking out before exam results are released in May. It should be really fantastic.

Nothing too terribly exciting happend in the last several weeks - though I did experience several eye-opening revelations regarding food, spurred by a couple documentaries Matthew and I stumbled into watching out of sheer lack of other options on Netflix. I can say that these revelations are actually quite immense in nature and will forever change how I eat and how I view food. Post on this to come, you can bet your bum on it. A wise friend (the lovely Ashley) said to me the other day, “once your eyes have been opened and you've walked out of the cave, you dont go back unless you are trying to get others out, too.”

In terms of social media this last month, I have actually done some purging and cleansing of my accounts, specifically on Instagram. I unfollowed a lot of people, not because I hate them or even dislike them, but because I think everyone has the right to filter what they fill their minds with every day. Some people’s Instagram feeds just didn’t interest me anymore, and many of them were ladies with new babies, which are of course wonderful and adorable, but when you’re scrolling through your Instagram and you see Baby, Baby, Baby, Pregnancy Announcement, Bump Pic, Baby, Baby, Bump Pic, Baby, Pregnancy Announcement, Baby… and then you start it all over again on Facebook... and you are not in that stage of life yet and possibly disgruntled and/or confused on that topic, it can cause needless negative feelings, and I am just all about minimizing the negative feelings I feel. Know what I’m sayin’?

Oh, how’s the photography biz going, you ask? Why, fantastically, thank you. I expected January and February to be very slow months, and February was more so, but I’ve managed to maintain a steady flow of clients and sessions, and I have even taken on an intern starting this week to help me out with tasks in the next couple months! Sweet.

And maybe that’s all for now. Just a general overview of some things going on round these parts, to ease us back into March. Thanks for reading, loves, and for coming back again even after this month-long hiatus. You deserve a medal. Happy Monday. :)