Emily Dean Photography » Lifestyle & Family Photographer | Based in Birmingham, Alabama

Monday always mystifies me.

I am super task-oriented, so unless I have concrete tasks to complete (i.e. session editing, etc.) I’m never quite sure where to start or what to do.  I know that there are 10 million things I need to be doing in order to help my business get off the ground, get my name out there and fill up my calendar, but that’s where I become mystified.  I don’t know how to start.  I’m not quite sure where to land.

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For me, Monday tends to set the tone for the entire week.  If I start out really strong, plowing through my To Do list, I can pretty much guarantee a productive week.  However, the opposite of that is also true.  If I wake up on Monday and sit in front of my computer with a blank stare, I know I’m in for a week of frustration and procrastination.

Take last week, for example.  Last week beat me.  It beat me like the Crimson Tide.

Procrastination and ADD took over my brain, held me hostage and killed my productivity.  The sad part is, I knew what was happening.  I knew what I was doing, but I couldn’t make it stop!  So, in an effort to de-mystify Mondays and help me start my week off on the right foot, I’ve decided to start a blog series.

Manic Monday.

I’m going to use this as a tool to help organize my thoughts, hold myself accountable and hopefully set the tone for the week.  Each week will obviously be different and may include topics such as:

  • Weekly goals
  • Random aspirations
  • Current frustrations
  • Current celebrations & excitement

I hope you’ll follow along.  I welcome your comments; in fact, I ADORE them, so any tips or advice you might have would be incredible…bring it on!

I would love to hear how you get motivated on a Monday & how you use that motivation to fuel your week.

Happy Monday!

 

 

 

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“The first time I saw her we were in Buffalo, NY for work.  I thought she was cute, ya know?”  He gazed across the crowd of their backyard reception in Mobile, AL at his glowing bride as he told me their love story.  “After that, I started stalking her schedule through our company’s online calendar…”  I laughed and told him that wasn’t creepy AT ALL.

“I found out we were on the same flight one day, so I dressed up…but don’t tell her that…”

Don’t worry Parker.  Your secret is safe with me!

Despite all of Parker’s efforts, Terri wasn’t easily wooed.  A year after their first encounter, she finally agreed to a date.  She was hooked and 5 months later, she said Yes!

They shared an intimate ceremony with a very select group of family and friends, so I was completely honored to be able to experience the day with Terri as her friend and her photographer.

Terri & Parker, I am so incredibly happy for you both.  I hope that your lives are full of the richest blessings and love…forever & ever, amen.

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  • October 30, 2012 - 7:16 am

    elle Danielle - Great pictures! The one of her looking in the mirror, with mom watching on … priceless!!ReplyCancel

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Sittin’ on the stoop.

That’s what we did basically every night in college.

When you go to school in a small town with less than 3,000 students on campus, there’s not much of a night life, so we made our own.  On the stoop at Tristan’s.

Gossiping, laughing and generally just actin’ a fool, we had a blast.  Those are some of my favorite memories.  Oh, if those plastic chairs could talk…I might not ever be able to show my face on this blog again!

Countless trips to Tristan’s hometown of Albertville, AL were made over the years to hang out with her parents, Gary & Martha, play crazy board games and eat homemade ice cream.  Oh, oh, OH! Nostalgia!!

Graduation, marriage & babies happen.  Six years passed by before I even knew what happened, so when Tristan & Markus asked me to come to the beach and take their family portraits, I was pumped.  When I got there and Gary & Martha were there, too…I was over the moon!

I LOVE these people so so SO much & I refuse to let another 6 years pass by before I see them again!
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  • October 9, 2012 - 5:14 pm

    Libba - Love it! Love them!ReplyCancel

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I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

A while back, I’d donated a family session to Childcare Resource’s annual fundraiser, the Fairytale Ball & silent auction, so I had no idea and no control over who I would end up working with.

That’s scary.

There were a million and one horrifying scenarios playing out in my head.  Maybe they would hate me!  Maybe they wouldn’t like my style.  Maybe they would make me stand on my head and do jumping jacks to make their donation worth while!  OMG.  Who knew?!

I arrived at our location just in time for the dark, threatening clouds to unleash an ocean of water.  Great.  I huddled under the covered patio and sent a text message telling Sarah that I was willing to wait it out if she was.

“Absolutely!” she’d replied.

They hung out in their car and I under the cover while we waited…and waited…and waited!!

Finally, almost an hour later, the rain stopped, the clouds rolled out and in walked the most adorable family I think I’ve ever seen.  All wearing sweet, sweet smiles despite the major hiccup in our plan.

Immediately, I knew it was going to be an amazing session.  And it was.  Don’t you agree?

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“He’s been crying the entire way here,” she said as they got out of the car.  “He didn’t want to wear that outfit.”

Cash looked at me with a shy pout.  I told him he looked so handsome and that we were going to have the best time ever.  He grinned and I was a goner.

“I’m color blind and I thought my shirt was orange until I got it home and held it up to their shirts and realized it is red,” she told me, clearly rattled by the cry fest she’d had to endure in the car for the past half hour.  I laughed and told her not to worry.  She looked gorgeous and you’d never notice the difference.

And that was the truth.  Kelly, Tony and Cash (how much do you LOVE that name?!) looked incredible in their {almost} coordinating fall outfits and made the 1st fall session of the year amazing.  The weather was gorgeous and crisp.  We spent the afternoon exploring Morris Avenue, playing hide & seek and chasing every train that passed by.

Cash was the perfect little model and Kelly & Tony are the sweetest mama and daddy.

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