No longer here....

Hello...

I just wanted to leave a quick note. I'm no longer using this blog space. You can visit my new blog at www.bmofoto.net.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Beth

My new baby

Hi friends!

It is with great pleasure that I present to you the newest addition to my family...my new baby...my BLOG!!! It's shiny, lovely, and wonderful.

We've been working on this since April and it's not 100% perfect yet, but I wanted to share it with you all. I just can't keep it a secret any longer.

Please go to www.bmofoto.net and visit as much as you like. The more hits I get the more visible I become on Google. Thank you all for your support through all of this. I can't tell you how loved I feel!

Big things around the corner

Thanks to all of you begging for more posts. I've been holding out because I'm launching my new, improved, super snappy blog very soon! I will keep you updated. Until then, here's a little teaser...my new logo that will set the stage for all the goodness that is yet to come.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for believing in me and encouraging me!

Be Free!

My daily checklist

Got dressed...check. Put on makeup...check. Went to work...check. Ate lunch...check. Get marriage proposal...check, check.

Yep, I've gotten my marriage proposal for the year. A man asked me at work on Thursday if I wanted to run away with him and get married. It was unexpected. All I did was unlock the door to the back and let him go the restroom. I blushed and told him I'd pass but thanks for the offer. It seems that things in GA are looking up. For better or worse I have an admirer:).

The God-given ache

I've been thinking a lot about friendship lately as you can see from my previous entry. I've been to see the Sex and the City movie and I watched as women of all ages came in together to share a moment of life with each other.

The more I observe the world around me, the more I am convinced that God truly did create us with hearts that ache for deep, authentic community. I'm beginning to realize just how much I crave it since I am in the absence of it myself. I had such a wonderful group of people in Dallas that loved me, understood me, and were willing to give me feedback even if it was hard. I was also blessed to be surrounded by amazing people growing up and all through college. I guess I've been showered with true, heartfelt friendships.

Today, I sit here in Georgia in a lonely coffee shop (not Starbucks...this town is too small) with my lonely cup of peppermint tea and wonder if I'll find any connections like I had in Dallas. I've turned into somewhat of a homebody. For those of you that know me know that this is grossly out of character for me. I can't decide if I'm changing in my old age or just adapting.

I tell you one thing I know...I begged God to give me some fabulous, Godly women here to love me where I am. Isn't that the heart of community and isn't that at the heart of what we all long for? Carrie Bradshaw might put it this way, "No matter where in the world you go, your heart is always with those you love and theirs with you. And when you return, they'll be there with all the love in the world."

Ann Margaret

This is Ann Margaret. I shot her parents wedding and Harvey Miles below is her cousin. She was such a trooper. She has a horrible ear infection the day we did this (but we didn't know it). She hung with me and we ended up getting some great shots.

I'm looking forward to taking pictures of her again in October after her new baby brother joins us.

Harvey Miles

Meet Harvey Miles. Let me just tell you that this was a super fun shoot. This guy is so full of energy and ideas. He was willing to do anything and I bribed him throughout the shoot telling him I would take pictures of him playing in a stack of tires.

He was jumping, climbing, and standing still for momentary lapses in between. He was such a joy. I think he could be a model.

Happy Mothers Day

This mothers day is a different one for me. I'm living at home with my mom this year for the first time in probably 12 years. I just want to take some time to honor her.

My mom is such an amazing woman. She's been through so much in her life and she's a survivor...a strong woman. She poured this strength into me my whole life. She inspires me to speak my mind, live my life with passion and go for my dreams.

She stands behind me and pushes me to exceed my own expectations. More importantly, she believes in me whole-heartedly. She is the main reason I'm beginning to live my life as a real life photographer. She sees my ability and gifts and knows that God's heart for me is to pursue photog.

She is the voice in my head telling me to go for it and the strength in my heart whispering that my gift to God is my photography. I owe my past, present and future to her. Thank you for making me who I am today!
I love you!

Don't end your sentence with a preposition

I thought I'd share my favorite birthday card with you. This is from my best friend and we're both sticklers for correct grammar. Not to mention that we would have a conversation like this:).

I still can't believe that I'm 31. I truly believe that this year is going to be a year of blessing. I can not describe how wonderful it feels to know that God is blessing me to do what I was created to do to bring Him glory. I look forward to sharing the year with you!
Be free!
B

The Smiths

These are my friends The Smiths. I love this family. I met Brian and Melanie through Discovery and we became fast friends. They actually bid on a photo shoot from me and won. It took some time to get it together, but I think we had a great time. I enjoyed shooting them. They were fun and up for ANYTHING!

My First "F" as a Southern Belle

I just had a conversation with my Memaw and she is , "Mortified that her granddaughter born and raised in the South doesn't know how to make biscuits or cornbread".

I pride myself on being a Southern Belle (I was in a Debutante Ball for heaven's sake), but apparently my future rests on these two things. My mom and Memaw are wondering how they failed me and my future spouse and children because I can't pass on such a heritage.

Tonight I'm tackling cornbread. I think there's still time for me to gain my crown and get a shiny Southern Belle "A".

A Must See Movie

I just finished watching The Darjeeling Limited and I highly recommend it!

It's the story of the spiritual journey of 3 brothers in India. It's full of hope, humor and dark comedy. The cast includes: Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrian Brody.

I laughed, I cried and ended with a renewed sense of who I am. For me, it's a picture of the long journey to freedom that I travel daily. It's easy for me to want to be "fixed" quickly but healing truly takes time.

It's the journey filled with the laughter, tears, and ironic comedy that make the healing so much sweeter on the other side. Check out the movie and see where it takes you!

Be Free!

The Time is NOW

You know, life is strange. I spent the last 9 months of my time in Dallas with mounting anger towards God. I couldn't understand why He had closed the doors for me to work with Frontiers to pursue photography and then not open doors for me to do that. My heart was broken and I felt like God was withholding my dreams from me.

Hindsight is a funny thing. Here I am 4 months into life in Georgia and it all makes sense. God had to move me to Georgia for Hid dreams for me to become a reality. I couldn't have pursed a new photo business in Dallas.

About 3 weeks ago after reading an entry on Scarlett Lillian's blog about waiting and having faith in the waiting for God's heart and purpose for you, I surrendered my heart, my dreams and my plans for my business to God. I realized that without He and His blessing that nothing about my photography made sense.

This week has been overwhelming. Funds have been released to me to purchase branding, a customized blog, a customized website AND a brand new pimped out 17" Macbook Pro. Ross at Flosites is the talented design genius that I've chosen to put my trust in. Check them out!

It's indescribable to explain what it feels like to be standing on the cusp of God's heart and dreams for me. I know that NOW is the time. It's an incredible feeling to see the thing that you know you were created to do to glorify God come into being.

I've taken several leaps of faith and God met me in each leap. I praise Him and worship His goodness and grace that WE are living out OUR dreams. What a great God. I know He's smiling on me and rejoicing over me with every release of the shutter. What joy! What peace!

The Opats

I met the Opats through a friend and I shot Isabel's 6 month portraits. I moved from Dallas and they tracked me down in Georgia because they wanted me to take her 1 year pictures. I had a blast with them. We walked around downtown Southlake (which Meredith scoped out for me) and went to town.

It's always a venture doing kids pictures but Isabel was a champ. She hung in there with us and I think we got some killer shots of she and her parents. Here are some of my faves from the day.

Casey Richardson

Meet my best friend Casey. She is the strongest, most amazing woman I know. If I'm ever in the midst of a tornado, I want her there with me. She has held my hand and me for that matter through some of the toughest times in my life. This is one thing I can give back...pictures to make her see how beautiful she truly is.

I made a trip to Dallas a few weeks ago and she agreed to sit for me. We had a lot of fun. She even agreed to pose in the rain...and play in a fountain (and it was chilly). That's true friendship! Case...I hope these make you feel as beautiful as you are!