It’s my favorite entry of the month–my personal update! Let’s get into it!

What I’ve Been Up To:

I officially wrapped up wedding season for the year, and it’s been absolutely wild having weekends to myself again.

I attended a harvest festival with my family, took my kiddos to see the Boston Lights at the Franklin Park Zoo, and went to a grown up birthday party (key distinction for me these days 😂) where I got to have actual adult conversations without someone interrupting me.

I actually feel like a new human.

I absolutely adore what I do, but I need rest just like everyone else. So being able to spend quality time with those in my circle again is not something I’m taking for granted!

Like I mentioned above, I had my mini sessions! This was the first time I’ve done them, and I have to say I loved it!

Would it be too much to say it was like my own Taylor Swift Eras tour? I say this as someone that has never been to a Taylor Swift concert. 😂

But being able to see past clients and dear friends all day long definitely filled my cup.

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I always am up for a challenge. I think that’s why I love sunset portraits at the beach so much. You have a short window of time where the sky is magic, and you have to work quickly to get everything you want.

Minis are a little like that. 15 minutes to accomplish absolutely everything on your dream list? Let’s do it!

Now, I’m in the midst of winding down my portrait sessions, planning some much needed rest for the off season, dusting off my abandoned to-do list, and starting to truly plan for the 2025 season.

I think I love the behind the scenes work just as much as I love capturing love stories. I get to dream, push myself to be a better business owner, sit myself down to learn new skills, and actually accomplish some of the things I keep telling myself I need to do. And while I still have goals to work through, there are no hard and fast deadlines, so the pace is nice. Slow, purposeful, and rewarding.

What I’ve Been Reading:

I literally just started a new book, His and Hers by Alice Feeney. Seriously, I started reading the first pages less than 24 hours before I started typing out this newsletter. So I cannot say if it’s good or not yet. I’m a whopping 10 minutes in to the process!

I’ve read one other piece by Alice Feeney, which was Daisy Darker. If you’ve read Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None–an absolute must read–you’ll like Daisy Darker.

If the name doesn’t give it away, Daisy Darker is dark. It’s a murder mystery/faux forensics thriller, so if that’s not your cup of tea, you won’t like it. And Then There Were None is also dark, although not quite as gruesome.

We’ll see how His and Hers turns out. I like thrillers if they’re not too scary. I’m a true crime and faux forensics junkie. Combining crime and not being terrified is a suuuper thin line, but when it does work out, it’s my favorite.

What I’ve Been Watching

Big Brother finally ended, so I feel like my viewing time is wide open!

Dillon and I finished season 6 of The Circle, and we just started season 7. The Staten Island twins are nuts, but they’re growing on me.

I’m now on season 3 of Emily in Paris. Emily and Sylvie make pretty questionable choices, and honestly at times it feels like the whole cast is hard to root for, but at the same time I love all of the Paris lure. I can’t walk away. And I’m adoring the addition of Alfie. So we shall see.

Dillon and I have also been dabbling in season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. We should be done with that one soon, too.

We’re still anxiously awaiting digging into Bake Off and Call the Midwife. The next month is super busy, so I won’t be surprised if I tell you those are still on our to watch list by the next update 🤦‍♀️

What I’m Excited About:

With work slowing down and the holidays fast approaching, next month will still be busy! I’m looking forward to:

-A family portrait session with my cousins. I love seeing their kids grow each and every year! They originally booked a mini session, but we had to reschedule, so now I get extra time with them!

-Celebrating my niece’s first birthday!

-Our church’s Fall Festival on November 3. If you’re reading this before our event happens, come join us!

-Jury duty. Yes, you read that right! I’m fascinated (and sometimes disturbed, but that’s for another day) by our legal system. This is the third summons I’ve received. My first one was cancelled before my jury duty date, and the second one the jury was filled before I had to go before the judge for the standard questioning. We’ll see what happens this time!

-Attending a mini session so that my own family gets pictures! We definitely need updated pictures of the 4 of us, and I can’t wait to have new images soon!

-A family session for a past CHP couple…with their baby!! I can’t wait for all of the cuteness!

-Esmie’s second birthday. She’s talking so much that it’s hard to believe she isn’t already 2. And, at the same time, I don’t want her to this old yet!

-Thanksgiving!! It’s my favorite holiday of the entire year, so I am SO excited!

-Leaving for vacation!! I am beyond excited to get away. We’re going to fly down to Puerto Rico and do a Southern Caribbean cruise right after Thanksgiving. I already hear the beach calling my name!

I hope that as you head into the holidays you get to experience peace and joy. I know that these times aren’t always easy for everyone, but I’m hoping you can still find some enjoyable moments. If you’ve made it this far into my journal entry, thanks for sticking around. And please feel free to let me know how you’re doing! I always love hearing from people!

Until next time,

Christine