It’s our last call for Photography for a Cause! We are closing the galleries on April 30…which means you only have a couple of days left to shop and support organizations like Shepherd’s Crossing and Thirst Relief! Imagine the people in our own community and across thousands of miles you can support with the simple purchase of a portrait.

In case you haven’t had an opportunity yet to browse my galleries, you can view and order fine art photography like this ::

Help us as we serve to help others….and receive beautiful photography for your home too!

Some of my favorites on my Pinterest boards lately…from luscious golden light to polka dot flats and nearly everything I adore in between…shout if you need an invite! (And you can thank me later for all the fun you’ll have!!)

(I know, it’s the weekend, but I feel like this deserves to be categorized as a Friday post…)

Earlier this year, I declared my dream of running a half-marathon; it’s an aspiration I’ve held in my mind for some time and finally had the audacity to just get after it. It came to this :: if not now, then when? Truth be told :: I find myself sometimes living in regret…. yup, you’re getting the hard-core, honest truth here. There are times that I’ve either acted on something or watched the opportunity slip by and later find myself thinking I could have, should have done something differently. Honestly, I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth. Those feelings come around less often than they used to in my life, but anyway.

I started sharing my story with others, of how I had this great big goal I wanted to accomplish, and figured that if I started declaring it to others I’d be held more accountable. Some gave me the head-tilt and a raised eyebrow. (probably the same expression I gave the hubs when he started mumbling something about participating in the race with me. youwannadowhaaat?) Others cheered me on without question, giving me advice, offering to log miles with me (which I LOVED), and sharing their own story of achieving something that at times felt almost too big to accomplish.

I felt like I owed it to myself to achieve this. To prove to myself and not anyone else that I was worthy. That I could see something, take steps toward it, and see the finish line in, well, a very literal sense. I needed to do it to prove to myself that I’m capable of taking on great big fat everyone-else-thinks-you’ve-gone-insane goals, and then take the lessons I’ve learned in its preparation and apply it to other areas of my business and life. So far, I’d say mission accomplished. I learned a lot :: and it’s all brought me closer to clarity (woo!) and the power of achieving something that seems huge in your mind. Broken down into bite-size weekly achievements, going and participating in the actual race was totally the icing on the cake. (I’d say it was gravy, but I don’t do gravy. ew.) And it was FUN. Race day was a great big lighthearted fun celebration.

The hubs actually took our Flip camera with him and documented bits and pieces of our experience on race morning. I’ll spare you most of the in-race footage as it’s a lot of shaking and breathless conversation.

The course was beautiful, weaving through some of my favorite parts of Kansas City — down Ward Parkway, through Brookside, and near Loose Park. And we loved the people, kids to grownups, cheering on total strangers as 6500 runners took on one mile after another. Some were dressed in costume; others with big signs saying things like “run, stranger, run!” and “go mom!” Their enthusiasm was contagious, but by Mile 11 I could really feel the physical and mental fatigue kicking in.

So much of this is in your head; training for countless miles every week and pushing yourself to take every next step. And then, once you break through those barriers — reaching the little goals that dangle in front of you, suddenly a whole new set of opportunities comes to light. And at Mile 11, as far as I had run to that date, I knew that this was going to take some seriously positive reinforcement to get to the finish line.

It came in the form of a text from our bestie :: we’re waiting at the finish line. Oh my god, at that moment I had the best reason of all to keep going. I could see our best friend, her daughter and little man’s shining faces waiting to hold out a hand and slap a high five for a job well done. That was the extra kick in the seat I needed at that moment to keep going.

Our finish time was better than I ever expected– when I first started training I thought I’d be happy if I finish at all, nevermind the idea that I’d finish in less than two and a half hours. We came in at a noble 2:08; which if the math serves is about a 9:48 average mile, finishing in the upper half of my age division. Woot! Now, I feel like that’s not only achieving a goal, but kicking it in the booty.

Redfaced and all, we look pretty good, no?

My finishers medal hangs in my office proudly, a visible reminder of what happens when you stick your mind and heart to a great big goal. Hopefully it’s the first of many more…anyone want to join me for the next one?

The Spring issue of Manhattan Magazine is out! And guess who is the lucky girl to get the cover shot?!

This issue was SO much fun to photograph! The cover story features several family-friendly activities in the community this spring, and we styled several child models with costumes and accessories by local retailers and Etsy sellers. I also had the great pleasure to meet Nelson Smith and his lovely wife to photograph their fantastic mid-century home, and spend an afternoon with Megan Curtain and photograph a cocktail party she planned as part of her company, Little Apple Events. This issue is filled with lively stories and great photography by all our contributors.

Check out the rest of the issue!

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