July Update: "The summer night is like a perfection of thought." ~Wallace Stevens

As I stated back in January, my "mantra" for 2016 is this: 

"I want to become a woman who overcomes obstacles by tackling them in faith instead of tiptoeing around them in fear."

My goal is to face the following obstacles with faith and not fear as often as possible:

Cooking

Watching

Reading

Finishing

Uplifting

Expanding

Cooking. I am, in many ways, getting better at creating meals for myself and my family instead of depending upon restaurants, but as I travel in the summer that drive-thru is so tempting! Hopefully, I can get back on track. 

Watching. Mom and I are still enjoying "Grace and Frankie" on Netflix. It's so good! We have two more episodes to watch of the current season and then it's the waiting game. I have also been sharing more of my favorite "kid/teen" movies with Karlene this summer now that she is older. She enjoyed "The Sandlot" quite a bit! 

Reading. I have faithfully committed myself to reading more this year and it is paying off. I finished the following books over the past few weeks! (Granted, one is mainly photographs, but it was still nice!)

Finishing. Karlene and I finally finished cleaning, sorting, purging, re-arranging, and more in her room. I even painted her table for her reading/iPad nook and the pretty "K" letter I have had sitting in my garage for over a year now. It's interesting to see her room evolve into more of a place for a "pre-teen" than a small child. Now, the bad news... she needs a new ceiling fan! The other one is kaput! 

Uplifting. I admit that in 2015 several of my goals were directed towards myself. In 2016, I've planned to faithfully take the time to uplift others on a regular basis. Here are two examples that are coming up fast. I have somehow worked myself into helping with Youth Group at my church, and assisting in the planning and hosting of a Journalism Summit here in Franklin County. 

PS Need a flyer designed? I think I am getting better at it! 

I have also been working hard at thanking those who go out of their way for me. I did so recently in a blog post for BJJTV and was so excited about the results. Give love, get love. It's so true. 

Here's the link to my blog post/open letter: 

http://bluejayjournaltv.weebly.com/ms-turner/an-open-letter-to-master-photographer-peter-lik

Expanding. I have been a teacher for a long time, but I know there's areas I have to improve upon. Networking is one such area. As seen above, I reached out to network with a local college professor after reading about the importance of networking in education. 

I also decided to reach out to a local group "Buddies Not Bullies" to help them develop a Video PSA Contest for this fall. Not only will it help spread the word about their organization, but it will help spread the word about bullying. This is another topic I have expanded my knowledge about. 

Networking is a little new to me. Working over a meal with someone over a project that will benefit kids is pretty exciting. It's very unlike my rushed lunch period at school. I am happy I am more open to networking with other people than ever. 

Now, let's look at some recent happenings in my life... I have work in the current Soulard Art Gallery show "Wide Open." I hope you get a chance to go see it: 

I was able to enjoy one day in a pool with my friends Charles, Krista, and their baby Grace. Oh, and this rather loud frog:

I have connected with the River Hills Traveler (see link: RIVER HILLS TRAVELER) and had an article published. I am so excited. It's on actual PAPER: 

I love how this photo collage blanket came out. My cousin and I had it made for my Grandma's birthday. She's not a fan of hanging things on her walls, so we thought it was the perfect gift. Then, she surprised us and had it hung on her wall. Ha! Gotta love it:

On a very recent trip to Florida, my daughter and I had a great time with a cat that decided he liked us. We named the kitty "Howie" and it really added a fun layer to the adventure:

I loved seeing how a client used her engagement photos. What beautiful centerpieces for her bridal shower! I am excited for Kate and Wally's big day. Even though I am not a wedding photographer, I do love engagement sessions:

Until next time, I am going to leave you with some images from Florida taken over the first week of July 2016:

~ Michelle of MK Designs

mkdesignsphoto.com 

These Days: A Little Recap of My 2016 Goals: Cooking, Watching, Reading, Finishing, Uplifting, and Expanding!

It's been awhile, so... remember my 2016 Resolutions?

BACK TO...Cooking. Watching. Reading. Finishing. Uplifting. Expanding. 

Cooking. I have not done well at this lately. However, I have been willing to try new recipes and consume vegetables that I have previously avoided. I have realized that I like cauliflower steamed with cheese and also with a buffalo seasoning. It really is almost as good as buffalo chicken wings!

Watching. I am excited that there are new episodes of "Grace and Frankie" on Netflix. My mom and I enjoyed the first season and it appears season two is going to be just as fun. 

Reading. I just finished "Generation iY" by Tim Elmore. I have asked my friend, Katie, if I can keep it a little longer to take a few notes and do some more research. It is a God-send. 

Reading (continued). I am now working on reading the book "Grandma Gatewood's Walk" by Ben Montgomery. I am ripping through it at a fast clip thanks to the combo of being on summer break and it's just that good of a read. I am thankful my friend, Kara, loaned it to me!

Finishing. I am SO close on finishing some new flower bed projects and cleaning up some old ones, I can't stand it! I am also SO close to finally finishing that mosaic project AND culling/editing my photos from Yellowstone/Tetons trip last July...it's almost silly. I will be happy once I can check those off my to-do list. 

Uplifting. Lately I have been feeling that more and more people WANT things done for them, but don't want to be the one digging in and doing the WORK that helps make those things happen. One example is at my church. Many who attend want things to just "happen" without having to do the work. So, today I decided to step out of my role as one of those individuals that just wants to be served and try to be someone who helps with the serving.

I signed up to get donations and help a little with our upcoming VBS, offered to help with our communications team, and reached out to my friend, Steph, to see if I can help with our Youth Group. 

Did I bite off more than I can chew? Not sure I did, actually. I think these are small things I can do for people who have given so much to me. I did feel pretty excited when three people were thankful for the little things I did and offered. 

I think if more of us would work towards serving others instead of always being served, the world (and even my little church) would be a much better place. 

Expanding. I am taking the time to learn more about the duties of my county assessor and what actions we can take when said elected official messes up big time. Why? Well, the school district I work for (and all schools in our county) were not given the proper estimate for tax revenue. It wasn't just a "little" off, let's just leave it at that. So, I am learning to find my voice and figuring out what channels that voice needs to use to report the injustice that has happened in our county. 

On that note, I find this fitting:

As I continue this journey, do you have any suggestions for me? 

What should I be...Cooking, Watching, Reading, or Expanding? 

Do you have any ideas for people or groups I can "uplift," because I am open to those, too!

Until next time, 

~ M of MK Designs

March 2016