It was SO great to take some time off and away from my computer during the holiday season.  I enjoyed family, friends, and some quality time with my husband.  It was SO hard getting up this morning and getting back into my routine.  As I sat at my desk staring blankly at my computer screen, sipping coffee (a new habit of mine thanks to a certain photographer friend), and mindlessly wandering facebook, I began to think about the coming year.  I started writing down all the things that I want to accomplish, and all the things that I have been putting off that need to get done.  I know everyone makes new year’s resolutions, but I never really have…until this year.  The list I made today made that very clear.  SO I wanted to share some of my ‘resolutions’ with you.  It’s a little long, but hopefully you can hang in there for the whole episode.  Here are a few things I would like to accomplish for 2011 :

* Be more positive.  My husband always gets after me because I’m not a very optimistic person.  I have always lived life expecting the worse, so that when something better, or good, happens, it is that much better.  I’m going to try to start looking for the good in things instead of the bad.  The glass is half full right?

* Get published.  I’ve always wanted to have one, or more, of my images featured in a major magazine.  How great would it be to open up a bridal magazine and BAM there is your picture.  It’s gonna happen one day!  Watch and see 🙂  I’m currently filling out and submitting applications and pictures, so I’ll keep you posted.  In the mean time, keep your fingers crossed for me!

* Set my company apart from others.  As a photographer, my style, ability, and technique is constantly changing.  With every shoot I learn something new and become better at my trade; however, so does every other photographer.  We all know there are MILLIONS of photographers out there, let alone HUNDREDS in Montana alone.  I want to be different.  I want to continue to grow and learn my niche, then expand on that.  I’m coming up with some new ideas and fun products to help start this, so stay tuned.

* Keep in touch with my clients.  I love my clients.  Because of them I exist.  Not only because of them, but because of referrals they give as well.  They are the heart and soul of my company, and every year I get to meet more and more wonderful people.  It’s the best part of my job.  Between the initial emails, bookings, meetings, engagement sessions, phone calls, the wedding day, uploads, blogs, print orders, albums, and file delivery, I get to know my clients pretty darn well.  BUT is seems like after the final products are delivered, we slowly loose touch.  I want to change this.  Maybe this involves happy anniversaries, or impromptu dinners or drinks, or a simple phone call to say HELLO.  I’m going to work on this.

* Book a destination wedding.  It’s a dream of mine to have the opportunity to travel for a wedding.  I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get outside Montana and capture the beauty of love in a different setting.  I’ve come close a few times, but I’m hoping this is the year I get to travel!  I’m willing to travel the world, or even just to a neighboring state, either way, I’m available 🙂

* Sell our house.  Yes the rumors are true.  My husband and I are trying to move to Great Falls, MT.  This doesn’t really change anything with my business.  I will still be advertising, marketing, and photographing in Bozeman, but I will also be doing the same in the Great Falls area.  For 2011, I’m not charging travel fees for Bozeman, or Great Falls, because I will be back and forth and all over.  We’ll call it a ‘transition period’.  About 6 months ago, my husband received a job offer with General Mills that we couldn’t turn down.  The only kicker is we haven’t been able to sell our house here in Belgrade.  SO I’ve been here with our doggies holding down the fort, with my husband coming home when he can.  If you or anyone you know would like a lovely house in Belgrade PLEASE contact me!  We are now using the motto “please just offend us with your offer, because we are desperate!”  HA HA…we just want to sell this house so we can live together again in a new house in Great Falls.

* Set aside ‘ME’ time.  Those of use in the wedding industry in Montana know that there is no such thing as summer vacation.  For us, summer is our prime time.  It’s 10-12 hour days (sometimes longer) every day, INCLUDING pretty much every weekend.  We even spend all of fall and into winter catching up.  Then right when we think we have time to breath, the onslaught of new client inquires for the next year come pouring in, and we are stuck in email chaos.  SO for those of you who thought being a photographer or being in the wedding industry was ‘easy’…you.thought.wrong.  I was blessed to photograph 14 weddings in 2010, and WHOA was it crazy.  There were some days that I literally thought I was crazy.  I even got a little burnt out by the end, but when it’s all said and done, it was totally worth it.  This next year; however, I’m going to try to take off at least 2 weekends to spend time with my husband, family, and friends.  One of those weekends my husband and I are going to go camping in Glacier.  I’ve never been, and I always miss out cause I’m usually booked up.  I’m also going to designate 2 nights a week where I STOP working (at a decent hour), STEP away from my computer, and spend time with my husband, family, friends, doggies, or just plop on the couch, watch some tv, and veg out!

* Get a studio space.  Ok so this is probably not going to happen this year, but I can dream big right?  It is my #1 dream to have a space of my own.  A place where I can cover the walls with my work, create a cozy space for clients, decorate it how I want, and most of all, move my home office to.  AHHH…one day…

There.  Those are some of my ‘resolutions’.  These are mostly for my business of course.  My personal one’s include all the cliche things like get my butt to the gym, stop eating junk, stop drinking so much caffiene, be organized…yadda yadda yadda!  Thanks for hanging in there, and come back to visit soon!  2011 is gonna be GRRRREEAT!