SHOPPING! | Seniors | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Hi!

Now that graduation party season has died down it's time to talk DORM SHOPPING!

 

WhenI was a freshman in college (*cough* 2006 *cough*) we were forced to live with at least one other person-- that is unless we paid EXTRA to have our own room-- and if we did it usually ended up being a tiny broom closet at the end of the hall. SO, needless to say one learned VERY quickly how to NOT be a pack rat and how to get creative with their organizational skills ;)

 

I've learned from some of this year's Seniors that their dorms are apparently going to be much nicer and a lot of them are even getting a shared kitchen space and semi-private bathrooms!! (i'm a little jelly!)

 

Either way I can pretty much guarantee you'll still need to find some unique ways to store your stuff and get the most out of your space.

 

SO to save you some headache and creative brain cells I've compiled a list of some of what I deem as the MUST HAVES for your dorm (and a few fun gadgets thrown in, too-- just because):

1. First thing's first: check out your dorm rules.
Some places will let you hang any and everything on the walls and some will require an oath in blood before you can even LOOK at the walls- so it's a key piece of the shopping puzzle to first know what you can and can't have (for example I was NOT allowed to have a hott plate in my dorm. Did this include candle warmers --ya know, the things that melted the wax so you didn't have matches?--no one knows. But i had one anyway! shhhh!)

If you can hang things on the walls my first "MUST HAVE" is shelves!
-Shelves get things up off the floor and help spruce up the place! You can place pictures of you and your besties, pictures of mom and dad, pictures from your senior session we had, flowers, mini-vases, the teddy bear your boyfriend won at the fair for you last summer, a framed hand-written note from your gramma, cards your mom sends you, and on and on and on.

Shelves are an obvious choice to help decorate AND help with clutter (that is IF you're allowed to have them).

 

2. If you can't actually drill holes into the walls to hang shelves the next great option are these:
http://www.target.com/p/over-the-door-6-hook-rack-chrome/-/A-10788144#prodSlot=medium_1_25&term=hooks

 

It's not a shelf, of course, but it will help get little things up off the floor or keep them from getting scattered all over the bed and night stand. Use it on your closet door or even the door to the room. You can use it to hook purses, hats, umbrellas, or even your bath robe!

I also used the individual ones with the sticky gum on the back and put them all over one wall to make a sort of decoration with the purses i had to hang up.
Like these:
http://www.walmart.com/msharbor/ip/SCOTCH-Scotch-Command-Adhesive-Mount-Metal-Hook-Large-Brushed-Nickel-Finish/14881957?action=product_interest&action_type=image&placement_id=irs_middle&strategy=PWVAV&visitor_id=79468684548&category=0%3A4044%3A90828%3A1075664&client_guid=46f7f0d7-8c59-4949-8dca-c7ea6b062588&config_id=0&parent_item_id=32512007&guid=6d963302-2879-4ac2-99a8-c669f8152790&bucket_id=irsbucket011&findingMethod=p13n

Gets them off the floor AND helps decorate just a bit!

3. LARGE MIRRORS (and decorations)

Large mirrors, if positioned strageically in a room, can really help open up a place. Plus, decorating a room instantly makes it feel more inviting and a little bit more like home- so don't be afraid to go a little extra mile in the decore department. You'll be happier to come back to your room and it may even make you feel better about having to study ;) Just tell your parents that when they're telling you that you don't need that super cute throw pillow or awesome multi-colored bedside table.

"Mom, if my room is nicer I'll want to spend more time in it and I therefore won't be out at Jackie's apartment gossiping about Pretty Little Liars and ignoring my studies. I'll actually WANT to be in my room- and when I'm there I can't help but pick up my books."

{See how that works? ;) }


4. Cube Units

I love these. Hands down they're AWESOME. I have a set in my office, in fact, and I am in love with them. They not only help keep things organized but they are cute and space for decorating, too!

(My office!)

Trust me, everyone can use more shelf space for clothes but these are best used for storing books, picture frames, gadgets, purses, and all the other little things that don't have a good "home" but need to be up off the floor. PLUS you can pick really cute baskets in multiple colors to really add decoration to your space!

Here's a great one from Bed Bath & Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/real-simple-6-cube-storage-unit-in-white/201339?device=c&network=g&matchtype=&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_storage_&gclid=CjkKEQjw_N-cBRD2k73X3OjJ8eMBEiQAbdPic2l_riesgQqfE4f-i6ViNGBA3H50xqrMcuBEeMPBkcTw_wcB

So, to wrap things up, when you go dorm shopping start looking for things that do the following:

- help you stay organized and get things UP (off the floor, the bed, the desk, etc.)
- don't shy away from getting things that help decorate the space and truly make it your own
- and be SURE you check out the dorm rules before you head to the store! No need to have to make a whole trip back to return it all later

What's the first thing you're going to purchase? Tell me in the comments below!
 

XO,

Sarah

A Call to Action | Hampton Roads Business Owner

Hi!

Earlier this week I had a mini wake-up call. One I have not, admittedly, completely ingrained into my psyche yet-but I'm getting there. (Did I say "psyche?!" Yes.... it's that deep of a wake-up call I guess *sigh*)

 

On Monday my mentor pointed out a glaring issue in my business approach.

I have no long-term, purposeful, planned, movements.

Meaning I do what I want, when I feel like it, when I want to do it.

Don't get me wrong: I most certainly think things through before I do them and think long and hard before I commit to stuff. If you've met me you know I'm a control freak (which for the record I think is harsh title to carry, mkay?) so I never just JUMP into decisions and I usually need like 17.5 people's opinions and "okay's" before I commit to big things.

But what I realized (thanks to it being pointed out to me with a huge HELLO road sign convo with my mentor) was that I am listless. If I have free time I work. If I have 30 minutes I spend it planning out things on Pinterest (sometimes things I have NO date set for yet). If I have an afternoon I'll work on packaging or website or blogging or editing or or or or or. If I have 10 minutes I'll check in on facebook and try to respond to messages.

If I have time I will ALWAYS sit down to work on SOMETHING.

 

But I shouldn't be working on SOMETHING. I should be working with purpose. I should be working with direction and an end-goal.

 

Sure, editing a session has an end goal: when I send the images off to the smiling happy face of my client :)

But I do not set boundaries on myself with my work hours and I do not prioritize my work tasks.

This is changing. NOW.

With set time frames to do work I will be FORCED to prioritize my tasks.

Owning a business and being the sole employee for that business means there is ALWAYS something that can be done (hence why when I have a free second I have always been able to fill it with things for the business). This also means there is ALWAYS room for improvement on something or growth in some aspect of the business. Which translates into me ALWAYS thinking about what I can do with the few minutes I have waiting on my husband to be ready to head out the door (and what can you really do with just a few minutes?). 

 

But without direction it's like walking your dog in a field full of squirrels-- nothing gets done and you're off on this chase trying to keep your dog in line where in the end you're just tired and didn't accomplish anything (except maybe the dog had fun...).

  

So here I am. Committing to myself and my business that I will be purposeful with my time. I will be organized and goal-directed with my tasks. I will have planned out work time with specific tasks for those times each day (these planned work times will also include planned breaks-- because SURPRISE I also have trouble telling myself to breathe). And I will be intentional in my planning and execution of all things in my business.

First step: Purchase a year long wall calendar (dry erase because I don't like to be wasteful) so that I can plan out my business goals WAY in advance and therefore have every piece of work I do be purposeful towards that goal.

 

The time has come to get my act together and let my act(ions) have purpose! Here goes!

(Wish me luck!)

Best,
Sarah

Any ideas you have for staying focused and being purposeful in your actions? I'd love to hear them! Share them below in the comments!
 

What I ordered :)



Planning a Styled Shoot- Part I {Key Players} | Hampton Roads Stylized Portrait Photographer

Hi!

As I hope EVERYONE knows I am in the middle of planning my first SOLO STYLED SHOOT (it was one of my big 2014 SEP goals). I am BEYOND excited for this and also really nervous. The theme is set; the location is picked, vendors have been contacted; a model is on board- this is really happening (no pressure!)!!

About a fourth of the way through my initial planning steps I came across this awesome blog about planning a styled shoot written by the oh-so-talented and über sweet, Chelsea LaVere of Bit of Ivory Photography. Only problem was that I was already about A FOURTH of the way through my initial planning! haha

Since I clearly like to learn on the fly (aka the hard way) I decided I'd blog on the fly, too; so now I'm about to let you in on all the secrets I've learned thus far in planning my very first solo styled shoot :)

1. PICK A DATE

So, you have your brilliant theme in mind and are just dying to get the ball rolling and contact all those incredible vendors you've been eying for forever; right?

STOP.

No matter what you want to do next you absolutely must pick a date for your shoot, first. Trust me on this one. Get all your key players together first and pick the date for your shoot together. 

I'm about to promise something- and promises are HUGE to me so listen close- I PROMISE that every single person you want to work with (model, cake vendor, location, hair stylist, etc.) will not all be available on the same day. So pick who is most important to you- the MUST HAVES for your session- and pick a date that works with their schedules. These are your KEY PLAYERS.

Maybe it's your model. Have you been watching her work grow and evolve and you just love her personality and MUST work with her for the shoot? Pick your date with her.

Maybe it's your location. Has every single vision and dream you've had of your shoot been at this ONE location? Pick your date with them.

Or maybe it's your spouse who has graciously been "volun-told" to help set up and carry props to your location on the day of the shoot. Definitely pick your date with him/her.

Everything else you've dreamed up for your shoot will fall in to place around your date and it will be fantastic. Sure, some of the folks you hoped to work with may not be available- that's ok- you've already locked in your "KEY PLAYERS."

I've definitely had to learn this the hard way as I have planned this shoot. After I had finally realized certain folks were my "must haves" I came to the realization that I simply have to pick a date and stick to it; If anyone else I wanted to work with couldn't work with this confirmed date then I simply had to accept that we were not going to be able to work together on this particular shoot. That's ok. I'll plan more ;)

***

Another big reason having a confirmed date is important before moving forward with any other aspect? 

It makes you sound like you've got your ducks in order and a solid focus and way ahead when you go to talk to vendors, locations and other professionals about collaborating with you on your shoot. They have a business to run too and want to make sure they are working with someone who will represent them in the best light possible. Being able to go to a potential vendor with a solid plan and lay out your vision with an actual set date will go miles farther in building that relationship than "I'd like to work together on this idea I have but I don't have anything planned yet."

Fortunately, I had a very solid foundation going for my shoot before contacting  the vendors who I am working with for this shoot; otherwise, I'm not sure I would have had ANY response let alone the positive ones I've been receiving :) Being able to tell them a bit about my plans and goals for the shoot got them excited and interested in being a part of what I had planned- their excitement played off of my excitement and vice versa: now everyone is excited! haha

So there you are, Part I of my lessons learned the hard way while planning my first solo styled shoot: before you do anything else- pick your date!!

Who knows what lesson I'll have learned to share with you in Part II next week!

Best,
Sarah


a preview from my inspiration board for the shoot ;)