Meet the Crawford's.

Ladies and Gents, I'd like to take a moment and introduce to you a very good friend of mine.
I met Carrie about 5 years ago when I was selling Tastefully Simple.  Over the course of the past 5 years our friendship has grown so effortlessly, Carrie and her family have become such a huge part of my life.

Carrie Crawford is one of thee funniest, most caring, loyal, compassionate, creative and honest people I have ever met. This girl knows how to plan and throw a party like no other and she uses that gift so generously.  When we met, we both had 2 kids and I was pregnant with Cohen... a few short months later, she couldn't let me outdo her, so she got herself knocked up with sweet little Cashton.  ;)

Her friendship is so special to me, together we have laughed (A LOT), cried, dreamt, failed, succeeded.  Her friendship is truly priceless and for that I am ever so thankful.
It's nice having a friend that you can share so much with and know that there is never any judgement, only a listening ear and honesty when you need it.   It has been so much fun going through life with her and being so similar in so many ways...struggling with the same things,  having big dreams and aspirations and stay at home moms of THREE kids with basically the same age differences.  We truly understand each other.
But wait... I said we each had THREE kids, oops, what I meant was that I have three kids and Miss Carrie is about to have FOUR....

YAY!!!  That's right, the Crawford family is growing!!!!

True story... we told them #1, #2 & #3 stood for pee, poo and diarrhea.  So clearly that's what I referred to them as the rest of the session.   Hey, anything to get a boy to laugh in pictures ;)  "Come here, diarrhea!"

Coming this Fall 2015, there will be another baby.  I am so unbelievably happy, excited and scared (ha) for her.   We have had this conversation together so many times over the past couple of years.  The- "Should we?, shouldn't we?, when is the right time?, should i be content with what I have?"-  but in her heart, she knew there was room for one more little Crawford baby and God's timing is right now!

Now, I need you to all join me in praying that God will bless Ron, Carrie and those three sweet boys with a beautiful baby girl.  And if it's not God's will for there to be a beautiful baby girl Crawford, then start praying for Carrie and her sanity ;) 

 Colton

Carter

Cashton

I really do love this family and I'm so honored I got to be a part of the pregnancy announcement.  

We had so much fun... we always do when we're together. 

Now you all have to stay tuned for a gender reveal this summer!!!

Apples and oranges...

Whew! Today had me big time itching to get out and do an outdoor session.  I can't wait to get out of this winter rut and start feeling good again.  I hate being cooped up in the house and having no energy.  The sunshine and warmth gets me excited about life again, which in today's case had me reflecting and setting goals for my business.
   I know i'm starting to sound like a broken record but last year far exceeded my expectations and for that I'm so thankful to everyone that believed in me and supported me.  But now I sit here setting goals for the future and dreaming of where I'd like to be by the end of 2015.   However, I keep finding myself feeling stuck because there is a part of me, a small part, that still doubts myself and feels like I've completely gotten in over my head.  Then the other part of me has these super high goals and is running to the next challenge.  The point is that all of this has me thinking about what exactly it is that's holding me back.  The answer, very clearly, is ME!!!
   So how is it exactly that I am holding myself back?  The number ONE and biggest reason is due to comparison.  Over the course of past couple of years, I have followed about ten different photographers and their work very closely.  Not because I wanted to copy their art but because I wanted to find inspiration.  I researched everything I could find online as far as technique and did some mentoring online but most importantly I went out and I practiced.  I used my poor kids as models and failed... A LOT but throughout it all I was discovering who I was and what Lindsay Sage Photography was.  I started coming home from these sessions after developing a relationship with these families and I would literally find myself editing these photos with butterflies in my stomach and sometimes even tears in my eyes.  This is when I knew that I was on the right path.  More than that though, I wasn't "copying" anyone else, I was doing my own thing.  Of course I had learned what worked for others and incorporated that into my workflow but this was still mine.
   So what is the problem then, you ask?  Well, the problem is that here I sit still comparing myself and quite frankly it's getting me no where.  I think its wonderful and very beneficial to still be looking around and challenging yourself to be better but there has to be a line drawn.  The line that you have to draw yourself that says "this is me, this is what I do" and on the other side it says "that is them, that is what they do" but it is a fine line and every once in a while i find myself feeling inferior and comparing my work to theirs.  I also find myself feeling defeated because I don't have a studio or the space to do indoor sessions, so therefore I can't offer what they are able to offer.  That is how I stand in the way of myself.  I allow myself to get discouraged by what others are doing instead of just being 100% grateful for all that I have accomplished and have yet to do.  I can't forget that I am only a year into this and that I'm going to continue to learn and grow every day for many more years.  I just need to get out of the way.
   I very much believe in God's perfect timing and I know that his plan not just for me but for my business is way bigger and better than i could ever dream it to be.  The people he has placed in my life at just the right time, the means he has provided to financially take on this business and the work that he has been doing in my heart have all played into this.  I have developed such a passion for photography and working with families, especially children.. that is totally God working in me.  I know for a fact that God has big plans for me and how he is going to use this photography business, ultimately for HIS GLORY!!  I can't see the big picture right now but I can see now that by simply getting out of my own way, He is going to guide me and continue to bless me on this journey.
   It's never ok to compare your apples to someone else's oranges, it really never gets us anywhere in life.  It's so important to remember that God will give you exactly the resources that YOU need.  I may not have a studio that gives me the capabilities to expand my business right now but that doesn't mean He won't provide that for me in the future, if that is even His plan for me.  For now I need to use what He has blessed me with and continue moving forward, the rest will come.

Moral of the story... stop comparing yourself to others, be completely aware of the blessings you have and use those blessings to their full potential... all for a greater purpose!!

Spring 2015 Sessions

It's that time!! I know it's hard to see past the mountains of snow in the yard and now we've added some freezing rain to the mix but I promise that Spring is right around the corner.  I have officially started booking April and May sessions.  I plan on scheduling up to 6 sessions each month through the summer so book early to guarantee your spot.  If you are interested in a Fall session this year, I'll begin booking those in July.

You can call/text 330-807-3301
Email lindsaysagephotography@gmail.com  OR
message me on facebook-- www.facebook.com/lindsaysagephoto
I hope to hear from you soon.

Spring Fashion 2015

One of the things I look most forward to when the weather starts to get warmer is changing up the wardrobe.  I am sooo tired of wearing bulky layers and feeling like the marshmallow man walking out the door.  So as I sit here daydreaming of the day that all 150 feet of snow is melted, I thought i'd compile a little list of my spring time fav looks for 2015.

First of all I can't wait to be sporting' my Chuck's again.  Every girl should own herself at least one pair... i happen to have 6 pairs and i anticipate that number to grow.  You can never have too many colors of Chuck's.  

The best thing about them is that you can casual up a cute sweater and jeans.  I love my oversized sweaters, ripped jeans-rolled up and my chuck's together for a cute early spring go-to outfit.

Ok, now how about the boyfriend jeans?!!  I extra fluffy heart boyfriend jeans on those "feeling chubby" days.  They definitely have a little bit more forgiveness to them than the ole jeggings.  I'm so in love with this pairing too... you can't go wrong with the super cute oxford's.  But throw on some flats or your chuck's with these as well.  Easy-peasy!

I love me some fashion scarves and by all means they work great in the spring time too but i love replacing the bulkiness of them for the simplicity of layering necklaces.  They are so dainty but make a huge statement.  Nothin else to say 'bout that. 

Give me some black leggings, a long layering tank and a denim shirt and I'm one happy girl.  Again, the shoe option is limitless... flats, flops or chuck's.. take your pick!

MAXI SKIRTS!!  It's like dressed up leggings.  I actually really like them with a vintage style shirt and flip flops.  Obviously you can find them in any color or pattern these days but the plain black is just so simple and easy to pair with.  

And lastly the BELL'S!  I'm so glad they've made themselves a little comeback in these "boho" days we have going on.  I just got myself a pair at American Eagle and I am in love.  Dress them up with a cute lacy top and some heals or dress them down with a vintage tee and a plaid button up... oh and your Chuck's.  :) 

As a side note... all of these looks can be found super cheap.   And even better they are great on all body types!!!  

My baby is FOUR

Last week my littlest turned four.  I'm ok with it... mostly.  It's just weird when I think about the fact that my oldest was four when I had him.  It really does seem like forever ago.  Life has really flown by these past few years.  One of the biggest struggles for me is slowing down and living in the moment.  We, like many others, are so extremely busy with work, school, sports, church, etc and it doesn't leave a lot of down time.  We have definitely started cherishing our down time more.   
I made this collage of him over the past four years...  I could stare at this forever... he's so stinkin' cute!

So, due to busyness and weather we kept little mister's party sweet and simple.  We celebrated with immediate family and it was perfect.  He wasn't overwhelmed with gifts and there weren't a thousand kids running around.  We ate pizza, we opened presents, we had cake & ice-cream.  He was happy!

Here's a few pictures from his celebration...

So, now I must prepare myself over the next 11 months for the big FIVE birthday.  Five is a big deal and that also means next year at this time we'll be registering him for Kindergarten.  Oh boy!