After the Winter Solstice

January 6, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 9 Comments

The holidays and the winter solstice are behind us now, which means we’re gaining approximately seven minutes of precious daylight every day. Our Anniversary, Christmas, and the New Year were nice distractions from the cold, dark winter, but in our normal routine, our happy light has become our surrogate sun and we are often lost in nostalgia for warm summer days, or brisk hikes in the mountains.

When the happy light clicks off, it’s back to reality.

I’ve never been stuck indoors for such an extended period of time. Winter sports with an infant in tote hasn’t been an option for us, so while Margot works on walking with the support of the furniture, we’ve spent a lot of time working on other projects.

Isaac, my wonderful law school drop-out, has been working diligently on the legalities of starting a small photography business — a dream of mine for quite some time now. With all this time indoors, he was able to write my contracts, model releases, expense forms, print waivers and price lists. Then, when were finally ready to make the investment in better camera equipment, we did.

Now, here we are, launching my own photography business, Yea Yea Photography! I completed my first lifestyle photo session at the end of December when a friend had her baby. I can’t wait to see the prints when they arrive from the lab in few days. I’m proud of this new venture, and excited to see where it takes us this summer when additional daylight translates into photo ops.

As the remaining winter days tick by (I think we’re only halfway through), I’ll be working on marketing for my studio, developing a few more recipes, and hopefully touring one or two places outside of Fairbanks to celebrate all of our upcoming birthdays. I’ll be sure to share all of that, and at least one session with my own blue-eyed baby (who is nearly ten months old) soon.

And many thanks to all the wonderful family and friends who frequent this blog and follow along while I practice my photography technique and share my life! Your encouraging comments always make my day.

Home Sweet Home

October 10, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 4 Comments

Furniture: I promise to never take you for granted again.

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After 20+ days of living life on the floor, it’s nice to catch a meal on our second-hand table, in our tacky country chairs. My favorite mis-matched decor hangs from the walls, while yard sale books and knick-knacks clutter the shelves. From the comfort of our sofa I can watch television, edit photos, or read stories to Margot. It’s wonderful to be surrounded by our familiar home goods again.

Continue reading “Home Sweet Home” →

Into the Home Stretch

September 1, 2013September 1, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 12 Comments

Well Friends, it’s been one whole year of me going on and on about our upcoming PSC (Permanent Change of Station) to Alaska. In a week the movers will be here to neatly pack our lives into boxes and transport them to the interior of Alaska.

The Military lifestyle is still a foreign concept to me, probably because my upbringing was one of such permanence. If you bumped into the couch, you’d uncover depressions in the carpet where the legs had long settled. Dated shag carpet, wicker wall hangings, and oatmeal colored curtains decorated our home until I was well into Jr. High.

I left that childhood home when I was sixteen. I packed my bags for Oklahoma and never looked back. That was the first in a series of big changes in my life.

The next place I called home was Norman, OK where I was a college student turned townie. I almost made it an entire decade there, but a PCS to Washington changed that. Now, not even two years later, we’re off to yet another location. A friend recently suggested that change is the only constant for me these days. So true.

In just over a week, we’ll have our Subaru all packed up, with a roof box on top, travel trailer in tow and a big fat beagle in the cargo area. Yours truly will ride in back with the baby (I’m too tall to fit in the front seat with the carseat behind it), and the snacks. We’ll wave good bye to our first family home, and say hello to a much larger town home on Fort Wainwright.

So here we go again, off to make new friends and to explore another region of the US, this time with our ever-changing baby girl Margot.

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Your prayers for our safe travels (and the survival of my houseplants) are greatly appreciated!

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