Sunday Best {and a chat about life}

Hi friends! What a weekend that was! We celebrated Elliot's birthday on Saturday and I'll share some pictures sometime tomorrow. It was a lovely day and he behaved very well, hee hee, thankfully. We weren't sure about it cause well, each of our little men have struggled a bit at their 3rd birthday parties and managed to get really teary eyed or grumpy at some point in the proceedings. He even prepared us for the worst in the days leading up to it, saying that he didn't want a birthday at all and getting all yucky about it. What!? And he cried when his grandparents sang an early "happy birthday" to him on Tuesday night. But all went well.

Here's a look at Sunday's best ...

{sweater - Gap, skirt - J. Crew, shoes - Kohls, necklace - Forever 21}

I've been really, really busy lately, ever since school started actually and while it couldn't have come and a better time I suppose (what with having a bit of time to myself, free of children in tow) it's a little tiresome to not have any of those free moments for just "nothing", you know? Now despite that fact that my work keeps me running around much of the week, it's really not a bad thing because every odd job that I have is one that makes me happy. I'm currently doing several things, some of which you know, others perhaps not. My main job is my little dance studio and I work on the dance side of my life on Mondays and Tuesdays. I teach for 3-4 hours on those days and in the mornings, I take some time to choreograph in preparation for the afternoons. We're currently working on dances for our Christmas production, a really exciting time for us! I feel like the luckiest dance teacher in the world because I have a group of girls that really and truly love to dance. And not just the little ones but the older ones too. They come to every class with a big smile on their faces and they work so hard. I've been teaching now since I was 16 and there have been many, many classes in many studios where I've felt like I was pulling teeth with the students. I'm blessed to have the students and the parents that I have. Now because it's just me taking care of that business, it's an enormous responsibility - ordering costumes, emailing parents, and keeping those finances organized. But I'm lucky to have a niche place that is growing and thriving, not for everyone who is studying dance, but a great fit for the families I have. I hope to continue to grow the studio and expand into a new facility eventually though the current size and timing has been perfect for me as I've attempted to keep my hours fewer. I've really wanted to keep my focus on raising a family and spending as much time with them as possible.

Then I have a really small photography business which pretty much involves 1-3 shoots a week. Those I love because they're not yet at the point where they take much of my time and so I feel more inspired with the photography itself. I think that if I were taking more pictures, I'd get in a rut. That's just a me thing. Photography is a huge artistic outlet for me, so if I start being uninspired by the location or the job itself, I think I'll need to give it some breathing room.

And lastly there's the freelance work that I do for our local papers and magazines (GB Press Gazette, YOU magazine, and GB Moms). This involves both photography and writing. The fashion writing is probably the most fun I'm having right now. It's a mix between dream come true and silly, it's only me. But it's been going well and a new fashion issue has been added to the line up for this year, so I'm thrilled about that. I'll actually be shooting several holiday fashion looks next week and the issue will be out in November. And it's the sequins and the glitter that really make me happy, happy, happy every single year, so searching for holiday looks has been a blast. I'm even dressing a couple of men for this feature. New territory for me!  

So I'm not sure where I'm going with all of this to be honest. I suppose in a way I'm apologizing to those of you who have contacted me and have had to wait to hear back. And you may have noticed a lull in content here on the blog. I certainly have felt it. I'm just trying to get all that I need to accomplish done and then to find those moments that I cherish to write here, read a book or watch a favorite TV show. I'm in a place in my life where I'm figuring out how to juggle a lot of different jobs and prioritize them. The part of life that remains unchanged is that spent with family. I keep work for my free time (with the exception of dance classes) and I keep quality family time at the top of my list. Sometimes I think I should say "no" every once in a while. But it's hard to say "no" when you're offered an opportunity to do something you actually enjoy. See the dilemma? Friend time has been few and far between and I've even spent significantly less time just hanging with my sister. That fact makes me a little sad. But she knows that I love her to pieces and it's all good. :)

Happy Monday to you and I'll see you again soon.