I’m so excited to catch up with you this month!

What I’ve Been Up To:

October was the final push for my wedding season. I had the honor of photographing two beautiful weddings, both with some weather challenges. I’m always blessed with the sweetest couples, so even though conditions were less than ideal, I was still able to capture amazing love stories because my couples just went with it!

I just booked another surprise proposal, so my season is lasting just a little longer than originally planned. This one will be so sweet, so I’m excited about it!

I hosted my annual mini sessions, and I loved seeing so many familiar faces! Minis are an amazing way for me to keep in touch with my previous couples and their growing (or not, hah!) families. It doesn’t even feel like work.

October also seems to be the month where my credit card got a little bit of a workout. 😅 I just invested in a year of 1-1 business coaching. I know there’s always work to be done, so I’m excited to have an ambitious off season to help prepare for 2027.

I also bought myself a new MacBook Pro. It’s coming in about a month or so, and I truly wish it were sooner. My Lightroom catalogs now move at a glacial pace. It can take up to 20 seconds for me to switch between photos. These long wait times made editing more painful than normal this season. I wanted to wait until the fall Apple announcements to help me decide what would be the best technical fit for my business. And once I had that information I hit submit on my order and tried to ignore the thousands that will be out of my bank account soon. But not staring into the void and wishing for the end will be worth it during my editing work.

The wedding inquiries really picked up this month, too. I have some new bookings I’m excited about, and this is before “engagement season” (Thanksgiving-Valentine’s Day for those not in the wedding industry) really kicks off. I can’t wait to meet all of the new couples I’ll have the honor of working with.

This coming weekend I have some intentional rest and relaxation planned. Earlier this year, Dillon went on a guys weekend, and ever since then, we’ve been trying to come up with a good idea for me. I couldn’t find exactly the right fit despite hours of research. What I really want is to sit in my own bed, with fresh sheets, no responsibilities, a fully charged e-reader, and all of my favorite takeout. So that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

For about 95% of the time, everyone is going to pretend that Mom isn’t home. 😂 I’m still going to say good morning and give kisses at night, but besides that, Dad is the parent on duty. After an extra busy fall, I can’t wait for this treat! I’m so thankful for a husband that truly is my best friend and partner.

What I’ve Been Reading

I’m working through The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh, a young adult fantasy novel. There is some romance, but it’s very light and clean.

So far, it’s enjoyable, but not anything remarkable. This is the second part in a duology. I enjoyed the first one, but it was a 4 star read for me. In case you’re unfamiliar with how I rate, 4 stars is good, but I wouldn’t necessarily re-read it or recommend it. If you ever stalk my Goodreads or Fable (please pick Fable! I need more friends over there!) you want to focus on the 5 star reads. Those are all books I would recommend and would read again!

Axie Oh’s The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is absolutely a 5 star read. It’s based on a Korean creation myth, and it’s one of the most beautiful and ethereal fantasy novels I’ve ever read. While Oh hasn’t bested her debut novel, yet, I’ve enjoyed following along with her career ever since.

What I’ve Been Watching

Great British Bake Off and Traitors New Blood are both releasing weekly episodes, so I’ve been following along with both of them.

They’re very different vibes, but the pairing somehow works nicely.

For Traitors, I think these might be some of the worst faithfuls ever presented in the US traitors franchise. They keep things interesting and frustrating for sure. If you haven’t seen Traitors, it’s a bandwagon you need to jump on.

And if you haven’t seen GBBO…where have you been?

What I’m Excited About:

My favorite, simple monthly tradition that I can’t recommend enough. Take a peek at your calendar and get excited for what’s coming ahead!

-Redlen’s school has a whole school field trip for apple picking. I notoriously don’t like apple picking (the prices are absolutely unhinged), but I’m excited to go with this group of people!

-The surprise proposal. No further details so it stays a surprise!

-Esmie’s birthday!

-Thanksgiving! This is my favorite holiday. Redlen’s school gives us the full week off, so I can’t wait to relax a bit as a family. I’ve decided I’ll take the week of from work as well, so it will be an extra special time.

Until next time,

Christine