A Favorite Things Post- Books

Hello lovelies!Today I am having a computer day, since this is the only day this week I have the morning off. Our schedules have been so busy this year so these days I get to spend at home have become little treasures for me. :) I get to start my morning with a cup of coffee, cuddles with my dog Annie, and reading a book instead of hurrying out the door. This helps me get a little inspired and focused as I start the day! And starting off focused and inspired on a Monday generally means a better week.

I wanted to do some Favorite Things blog posts, to kind of introduce myself and start a friendly conversation with you all. Maybe you can relate to a few of these? Or maybe you will want to share a few of your favorite things as well? :) Today I will be starting off with my favorite books at the moment, though this could change with the weather (which has been quite perfect the last few days).

"Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood." –John Green

I first picked up Blue Like Jazz when I was in high school, and have since been hooked on Donald Miller's writing. It almost feels like you are just having a conversation with a good friend, one who is open and honest, one who you can always relate to. He may not have all the answers but at least his books help you realize you aren't the only one asking those questions. His newest book, Scary Close, has some amazing thoughts on relationships-- not just romantic ones, but for friendships as well. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is ever around another person for any length of time. :)

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist is the go-to book for me when I want to feel inspired or need a mental hug. Some Christian women authors have this way about writing that makes me feel like I am in a stiff Sunday school class, but Shauna's writing just feels like a cozy Bible study in a home with a small group of friends, where you can put your feet on the coffee table as you talk about life. Her words encourage me to pray, do yoga, and be creative. I love this quote from Cold Tangerines: "It's rebellious, in a way, to choose joy, to choose to dance, to choose to love your life. It's much easier and much more common to be miserable. But I choose to do what I can do to create hope, to celebrate life, and the act of celebrating connects me back to that life I love." <3

My husband introduced me to the world of Harry Potter, and I am slowly making my way through the book series. I love books that have lots of imagination and originality, and J.K. Rowling has infused these books with a good dose of each. I have already watched the movies, but books are always so much better, aren't they? Some Sunday afternoons you'll find us reading books in bed, usually with Friends streaming on TV, and lately I have been turning the pages of these books, one by one.

What books have you all been reading lately? Any recommendations? :)

-Abrea

An Introduction to Jimmy

I feel like so many of you have been on this photography journey with me, from the early days when I edited everything way too brightly or changed my logo 50,000 times (okay only like five, but still...), and some of you were there when my business went from Abrea Garwood Photography to Abrea Crackel Photography. Was that really just last year? Anyways, I thought I should introduce you all to my wonderful husband Jimmy, the person whose last name recently became mine. :)

1. Jimmy is an accountant, and I thank God for that! Before he stepped in and helped me actually think like a business, my prices margins were off a little, and my paperwork was a bit messy. I would sit down every quarter and try to figure out how much I had made, how much I had spent, pouring over lots of receipts and invoices for hours. And then Jimmy came along and introduced me to Excel, and now my profit and expenses are catalogued and categorized much better, my paperwork is much neater, and my tax accountants are probably much happier with the spreadsheets they can refer to at the end of the year. I'm convinced Jimmy's business mind saved my business, and I didn't even think it was in trouble before him. (For all you other creatives, I strongly suggest using a program such as Excel to help you stay organized, and meeting with an accountant to understand what you need to do to run your business legally. So worth it.)

2. Jimmy is the cook, I clean. Before Jimmy I ate a lot of (possibly burnt) grilled cheeses and simple salads, but now we have delicious dishes like Avocado or Pumpkin Alfredo and Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. And he is always finding new recipes to try, tweaking them to make them his own. This year we have been on a quest to eat healthier so I have had to stop asking him to make Pear Rosemary Scones and Heath Bar Cookies, but on occasion I just can't help it and he'll make them for me. Seriously, I will gladly clean the kitchen as long as he is cooking! :)

3. Jimmy is creative-- more and more so by the day! For all of you who say you are not artistic, I would tell you that practice makes perfect, even when creativity is concerned. Just like Jimmy taught me to be better with numbers and data, I am teaching him more about photography with every wedding we shoot together. And lately he has needed less and less help from me, which makes me so proud! Even at this last wedding, he was coming up with poses and ideas for detail shots as if he had been doing this for years. I'm amazed at how he quickly he has learned camera settings, lighting, and composition!

4. Jimmy loves coffee... Maybe more than I do? I don't know if he was quite as taken with coffee before we started dating, but now we obsess over it together. We honeymooned in Seattle so we had plenty of amazing coffee there, and anytime we are in Nashville we have to stop at Crema to grab a Cuban and a scone (a Cuban is a drink they make there, not a person or a cigar ha!). We may not look like hipsters but we sure do love their coffee! When we are home we love freshly ground coffee each morning, and if we are feeling fancy we'll make it with our French Press or Moka Pot. I'm pretty sure he has his eye on a legit espresso machine, but we haven't gone that far yet. ;)

5. And last but not least, Jimmy loves the TN Vols. You can catch him singing Rocky Top at all times of the year, but even more so during football season. He requested that we have at least a little orange in our wedding, and of course, his groom's cake was in the shape of a Tennessee "T". I didn't know anything about football before we started dating but now I love watching games with him and having him explain things to me when I don't know what is going on. You can find us on game day, each in our Vols shirts, me sitting cozy on the couch and him pacing the floor, stressed out and apologizing every time he yells at the TV. :)

So there is a little intro to my husband Jimmy! I hope you all can meet him someday, he's pretty fantastic.

Styles on Broadway- Martin, TN

The crew at Styles on Broadway in Martin put together a little photoshoot last year and I was honored to be the photographer. :) They did wonderful hair and makeup and wardrobe styling, and our models were some of their loyal clients. Everyone was great to work with and I think we all had a bit of fun! Thanks for letting me be a part of this!