Shoutouts, Shares, and GIVEAWAYS!

Happy Monday!!! This is going to be such an incredible week!

Last week I felt a lot like this squirrel...

But today I have a jump in my step, and I feel like this...

I have so many delightful things to share with you all in the next few days. :-) 

I'm going to start off with what I am most excited about - there will be a giveaway at the end of the week!  I'm not going to say what it is yet, but what I will tell you is that it has to do with one of the amazing things that is going to take flight this week!  Check back for more details!  I will reveal more and more day by day, and it's so exciting!

I think right now, the bigger deal is how you get in the running for the giveaway!  Here's what I need a little help with - I'd love to have people follow me, love to see what comments and feedback you have for me, and I'd love for you to share my blog with your friends!  So, let me in on what you're doing, thinking, and saying, and for each shoutout, share, or smile, I will put your name in a drawing for the end of the week!  (And let me tell you, it'll be worth it!)

-JB

Currently Reading:  "Crafting a Business" - Kathie Fitzgerald
Currently Listening to:  "Just a Kiss" - Lady Antebellum (Check it out!!! It's awesome!)

Don't miss "the moments"...

I had been waiting for a rainbow all week.

Yesterday before dinner, my hubby came in from work and said "I think you're going to get your wish."  He walked out onto our back patio, and excitedly came back in announcing loudly that my moment was here.  I shifted into "go mode" to get my camera, ran outside, and when I went to turn it on, the only thing that happened was this message - "change battery pack" (<- and it looks just like that in an ominous red print).

So I'm not going to lie, my initial reaction was to feel pretty angry.  Granted, it was my fault it was dead, but still, I'd waited all week for this.  And the real kicker was that I had used the camera the evening before and I had two power bars left.  Since it was dead without reason, I ran inside and traded it for an old point and shoot Canon.  The shots I got weren't nearly as exciting as what I had hoped for, so I put that camera down as well and just enjoyed the moment.

Lots of times I think photographers can get so caught up in wanting the perfect shot, that we forgot to enjoy where we are and what we are experiencing.  Sometimes the same thing happens in life - we are just to busy to enjoy what is happening right where we are.  While I have included one of my shots, I realized something long after the rainbow was gone - the rainbow was for me.  I'm sure you've had a week that has been particularly trying, and that is where I am this week.  The moment with the rainbow was for me to soak it in, remembering the peace, love, and hope that rainbows symbolize.

I hope that as "the moments" come and go in your day to day life that you take the time to enjoy them.  Whether it's a happy song you hear an older gentleman whistling through the grocery store, a stranger holding the door for you, or a rainbow after the storm, let it be the reminder in your day that there is something to smile about.

I hope you are all having a good week :)

-JB

Things that make me smile...

It's raining again today. 

I know that the rain makes the grass soft and green, and inspires the beautiful flowers to shoot up and blossom, but today I just feel like it makes me soggy.  I don't particularly like driving in the rain.  It doesn't really inspire me to do great things.  When it's raining I want to relax on the couch watching HGTV.  While that is a fun way to spend the day occasionally, that isn't what this Wednesday had in store for me... so I packed it all up and am finding my inspiration in Panera with some good ole caffeine. 

After getting what felt like a second shower on the walk from the car to the door, I decided that I needed a good smile.  I have some pictures on my laptop for an occasion such as this.  These are all photos taken with my iPhone - so the quality isn't as great as I like, but they make me smile.

Maybe you need a smile today as much as I do, so I'm going to share these with you all.

Enjoy!

my friends' brand new baby - her name is Maci.

my nephew wearing my scarf.

relaxation.

the flowers that the spring showers bring.

Have a nice evening :)

-JB