30 Things I’ve Learned in these 30 Years…

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Recently I celebrated my birthday and I have to say, I’m really loving my thirties. I feel wiser, I look slightly older which I love but feel young enough that nothing hurts (yet). I am independent in a way I wasn’t in my 20s and I’ve finally found my rhythm in life. One of my favorite expressions is “If I only knew then what I know now”… so I thought I’d just write it down. The things I’ve learned in the thirty-some-odd-years for anyone younger listening and for anyone older who might like to share with me their lessons so that my next 30 years are just as bright…

1. Have a dream. Follow your dreams.

2. Failures are not mistakes, only the lessons that give us stories.

3. GO WITH YOUR GUT. Always, always, always.

4. “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” That is what I think every time I get a “little nervous”. We don’t know what is about to happen so we can’t live our lives as if we do.

5. You never know what someone is dealing with personally so be kind.

6. Knowledge is power and opportunity. Opportunity is everything. 

7. You may end up loving the things you once hated.

8. Do what you love for a living so you can love what you do. It’s the only time we’ve got, might as well spend it as well as possible.

9. Money does not define happiness.

10. It is the things that people make look easy that are the hardest to do.

11. A great photograph needs no caption because it has an idea, story or message within it.

12. Never be afraid to try something new.

13. Talk about what you love.

14. Giving is better than receiving.

15. Best friends are the keepers of your life’s memories.

Continue reading “30 Things I’ve Learned in these 30 Years…”

It’s My Blog Birthday!!!

A year has passed since I started From Me To You and I could not have foreseen the incredible amount of support, love, community, and readership it has grown to today. When I started this blog it was just a place to share some of the many archives of images I have sitting in negative sleeves in my closet from projects past. I figured maybe someone would enjoy them?… A year later I barely have time to go look through old images as this blog changed into a place that drives me to create, inspire, explore and communicate as a photographer. I’ve grown professionally and personally as an artist through the comments, tumblr hearts and incredible emails regarding my work and lifestyle. Thank you everyone so much for coming to my blog so often to do exactly what it is I make pictures for- to see the images.

A Year in Review:

We fell in love with Savannah, Georgia

We looked honestly at living 24 hours in New York City

We looked back at a year on the road with Taddy Porter

We imagined the days of Jazz with HIM & HER

We swam with the fishes 

We had wine, explored famous works of art, & wrote postcards in cafes in Paris

We took the train to London to see how the Queen lives

We disposed of 2 hours

We become food consience and started reading the Food Diary of a Brovacore & traveled with Molly to the green market

We survived a blizzard in New York City … Twice

We started a new series: Ten Polaroids 

We picked apples in Missouri 

We shared dates nights with Dinner & A Movie

We explored New England in the fall with Vampires & Witches and a mini-movie

We adored my gun-toting, craft-making, home-cooking Texas Grandma

We went into the homes of New Yorkers


We traveled to year 1963

We paid our respects to one of the greats

We paid Old McDonald a visit

We spent some time out west in Texas

We had a very beautiful dinner party

We fell in love on Coney Island

We enjoyed the sweet life with Cupcakes

We left our heart in San Francisco

We were inspired by Marilyn 

We tried a lot of different hairstyles

We looked at a lot of different cameras

We read a lot of different books

We took a bridge to New York

We found out how Martha Stewart does Christmas

We took a boat in Portland

We remembered a great leader

“Now what?”…. Now we’re going to celebrate by giving away 3 sets of 5 postcards of my photography!

How to enter: It’s really simple y’all, I just want to hear back! Leave a comment below and tell me what you have enjoyed this past year on From Me To You OR suggestions for the future! It could be anything from shoot ideas, to stories you’d like to see photographed! 

Then what happens? I’ll enter everyone who comments into a drawing and 3 people will receive a set of postcards of my B&W film images printed specially for my blog birthday! 

What’s that? You want to increase your chances to win? Sure! For another entry tweet about my blog but be sure to include @_frommetoyou so I see it! 

To take the cake: If you blog about my blog you will be entered ANOTHER 5 times!!! FIVE! Come on, look at all the pictures you can choose from! *Make sure to email me the post link so I’m sure to see it and you get the multiple entries! 

Here’s to another year, some more journeys and as always my images From Me To You.

Happy Birthday~

Today is my Birthday. I feel really lucky this year. I have met and made friends with some wonderful people, I have a fulfilling and rich home life that I say thanks for everyday, and I have the best family back home in Texas a girl could wish for. I am supported, loved and cherished and though I can’t imagine being any happier than I am now, I truly believe the best is yet to come. Thanks to everyone- Family, friends, co-workers, strangers, and future acquaintances for coming to my blog everyday looking at my work and leaving those marvelous comments. Here’s to us all~

PS- We made my birthday cake last night to start off today with (breakfast of champions or birthday girls). I’ve been waiting months after seeing this confetti cake post on Dessert Girl!

Oh.. and.. Today is Texas Independence Day. That’s right- more Texas love!