Motivation for Monday: Everything

{The above image was taken in Edenton, NC}

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." ~ Philippians 4:13 {NIV, emphasis mine}

I don't know what you are going through, but everyone is going through something. It may be the loss of a loved one, the inability to let go, a break-up, the loss of a job, having difficulty making ends meet, struggling with a habitual sin, or lacking the energy to finish something that needs to get done. Whatever it is, you are not alone. Your issues, your problems, your inadequacies, are all important and they matter to the One who breathed life into you. Your issues, He will resolve them. Your problems, He has a solution for them. Your inadequacies, He will fill the void. 

God has a plan. The Bible is filled with His promises. We have the power to remember them and to claim them over our lives and over the lives of our loved ones. He is able to equip you with everything you need for this life on earth. You can do EVERYTHING through Christ who gives you strength. Everything is everything, not some things, not the easy things...everything! Believe it :) 

Have a blessed Monday!

Motivation for Monday: Church

Isaiah 54:13 - All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace.


We moved here a year ago. Some transitions were easier than others. Beau & I both agreed that finding a church home would be our first priority. We visited 6 or so churches. Researching online and listing the local churches was something we'd do during the week in the summer of 2011 when we weren't unpacking boxes. God has blessed us with some amazing church homes in our past that we were confident to find one here. 


One of the last churches we visited was Open Door Church in Edenton. I instantly loved it. As we walked up with our boys I could hear the praise & worship music coming from the sanctuary. I'm a singin' fool. I love to clap my hands and sway to the music. Music is important to me. The people who greeted us at the door and showed us to the children's ministry were very welcoming. When you're new feeling welcome in an unfamiliar place puts you at ease. We were also very impressed with the children's program, which was another important factor in choosing a church. Julian comes home with graphing calendar for the week. One side has a Bible story and verse references and the other side is where the parents write down the date and verse they read to their child during the week. The children's ministry at Open Door encourages parents to read the Bible to their children during the week. I really loved this idea. What a great way to keep parents accountable. All in all, we really enjoy attending Open Door Church. We consider it our church home. It is so worth the 30 minute drive. 


When I was pregnant with both boys I prayed that the Lord would capture their hearts at an early age. Julian recites Bible verses and John sings "Jesus Loves Me". I know God is answering my prayers. This verse in Isaiah really spoke to me this morning. It's promise reassured me that the Lord is indeed capturing their hearts. I am so thankful for this. If I do anything right as a parent it'll be that I introduced my children to the God who created them and told them about the One who saves. This brings me peace. 

Flashback Friday: Coca-Cola

I love vintage finds. This 15 cent Coca-Cola machine is circa 1943 (approximately). It reminds me of the story my Papa told me about the first time he drank a coke. I also love my family of storytellers who give me morsels of life experiences to write down and share with my children.
Did you know that Doctor John Pemberton concocted this formula for Coca-Cola in May of 1886? He was a pharmacist in Atlanta, GA. It's fascinating to me because I also love history. {Sidenote: Beau & I are self-acclaimed history buffs. Yeah, we're total history geeks. e even watch The History Channel.} When you see the colors and the font, it's unmistakable what it is. The brand is all over the place. It's now an internationally known and consumed product. Did you know that Dr Pemberton's bookeeper was the one who suggested the name and wrote down the name in his perfect penmanship. The lovely font you know well, above, is from  the well scripted hand of the good Dr.'s bookeeper.
Well, if you didn't know any of these things before, you know them now. Enjoy your weekly dose of Flashback Friday. Hope you have a happy & enjoyable weekend! xo

Wednesday's Printable Words and an Announcement!

If you follow me on Facebook you probably saw this picture on my timeline. So now I have the opportunity to share what this means. If any of you answered: "Too Legit To Quit", you're right! The song was released in 1991 by MC Hammer. This song was featured along with "Addams Family Groove" in the movie The Addams Family. I can still see Christina Ricci with her long braids as Wednesday Addams doing the movements to the song. Classic!

ANYWAY...I thought this would be a Karrie-like way to announce something very exciting. I am very proud to announce that Karrie Drake Photography is now Karrie Drake Photography LLC. That's right folks, a legitimate company. EEK! Thank you, thank you to all my family, friends, and clients who have supported me and encouraged me. I appreciate you more than you know. I am so blessed to be able to do something that I truly love. xo- Karrie

This printable is FREE!
1. right click
2. save image as
3. print

Wednesday's Printable Words are brought to you by the creator & orchestrator of my life and yours. I love the message of Matthew 19:26 ~ Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (This was Jesus' response when He was asked by the disciples, "Who can be saved?")
I owe everything I have to the One who gave me the opportunity to have it. We were all created to be and to do something for the glory of God. Find out what it is and Go Get It!

Motivation for Monday: A Female Tangent

Balance. Balance. Balance. Sometimes I wonder if it even exists. I've heard and read of so many woman/mother/homemaker-gurus who claim to know the recipe for balance in a busy woman's life. I have yet to hear or read about the recipe that suits me and my life. 

---Beware: I'm going to talk frankly with you in this post.---

These woman/mother/homemaker-gurus know and write about what they have experienced in their life, which I think is all well and good. Thanks for sharing. But let me share something with you, cleaning my kitchen sink doesn't give me the motivation to clean the rest of my house. It just doesn't. I clean my kitchen sink because I have to. I clean the rest of my house because I feel like it is my job to ensure that my husband & children live in a clean sanitary home. Usually, I clean my house twice a month. Another shocker is that I don't do all my cleaning in one day. I do it in 2 or 3 days. I like to pace myself :) That may seem gross to some, or it may seem like too much for some. Either way, I do it because that is what works for me and my household. I so loathe to clean. Oftentimes I kick my boys out of the house so that I can just do it and get it over with. (I may be speaking to some of you and some of you may think I'm crazy. That's alright with me.) I clean much faster and efficiently if I'm cleaning to music...loud music. You're probably wondering to yourself, "Karrie, what are you talking about?...and what it is, please get to the point."
I'm getting there, my friend.
Some women enjoy cleaning. More power to you, girls! I like enjoying my house after it's clean. Some women enjoy doing the laundry. I enjoy when the laundry is folded and put away. I enjoy when the chores have been checked off all the way down the list. That rarely happens though, and I mean RARELY. When I check off one chore most of the time I'm adding two more to the list. That's just how it goes sometimes. I'm not at peace with it, but it's reality.
What irks me a little bit is when I sit down and talk to some of my friends about balance in the home and I instantly get something like, "Oh, you should go to so-and-so's website. They have such good advice about balance in the home. It all starts with a clean kitchen sink." (insert rolling eyes here.) Really? Wow. How many hours would I have saved worrying about the balance in my home had I known that it all started with a clean kitchen sink. Dang!
The fact is, every woman has a lot of "stuff" on her plate. The plate consists of work, chores, intimacy with husband, quiet time with God, exercise, lunch with friends, doctor visits, grocery shopping, laundry, and the list goes on...
Not everyone's ratios look the same. I give so much credit to the woman who has to do it all by herself because she is either a single parent or her helpmate has a demanding job. My heart goes out to the woman who has no choice but to work a 40 hour week to help her husband pay bills and put food on the table and then has all the "stuff" I mentioned on her plate on top of that and then some.

---Newsflash: There is no perfect formula.--- 

No one person outside of your home, Super Nanny included, has the answers for you. No one lives your life, except for you. The one thing I can honestly say that has worked for me is this, God knows you. He knows your thoughts, your "to-do list", and what's important to you. Ask him to help you prioritize the list. Some weeks, months will look different. It may be random, it may be organized, it may formulated. It won't look just like Mrs. Jones' list. It's not going to look like the balance your mommy group leader seems to have. It'll be yours though. Just yours. There's peace and sanity in that, I think. I encourage you not to stress about your to-do list or to worry about the balance of your home. I also encourage you not to compare yourself to the woman who seems to have it all together. You're not in a contest with her. Be true to yourself. Be honest with yourself. Do what you are able to do today and leave the rest for tomorrow.

**Side note: I am convinced that the only reason my sweet husband endures the ranting about my distaste for cleaning is because he knows I'll make a nice dinner. 


Cleaning Day 1:
1. clean & disinfect laundry room, kitchen, dining room, and living room
2. break for lunch
3. clean 2 bathrooms
4. take a shower
5. light scented candles
6. make dinner
7. store left-overs and do dishes



Cleaning Day 2:
1. laundry
2. clean, dust, disinfect 3 bedrooms
3. laundry
4. break for lunch
5. finish laundry
6. make dinner
7. store left-overs and do dishes

White Chicken Chili (served with sweet corn muffins)

Ingredients:

1. McCormick's White Chicken Chili seasoning packet

2. 1 lb. cooked boneless chicken breast

3. 1 cup of water

4. 1 can of pinto beans

5. 1 can of kernel corn (drained)

6. a dollop of sour cream

7. diced ripened avocado

8. sprinkled cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. combine ingredients 1-5 and simmer for about 10 minutes.

2. scoop a helping into a bowl

3. add ingredients 6-8 for extra flavor.

4. serve with Martha White's sweet corn muffin (one pouch makes 6 muffins)  

Enjoy!

2013 Senior Rep: Abbey

Meet the first 2013 Senior Representative for Karrie Drake Photography, the beautiful Abbey! Senior portrait sessions are so much fun. I enjoy the one-on-one time I get to spend with my seniors during their sessions. Not only is Abbey beautiful, she is also very bright, and stays quite busy with cheerleading and other activities. This mini session was shot in historic Edenton.

Now scheduling sessions for August & September 2012. Call now to book your Senior Lifestyle Session!

The colorful and flattering dress Abbey is wearing comes from Downtown Diva Fashion Boutique, which is located right on Broad Street. I have several lovely frocks from this fashion boutique. You can always count on excellent customer service. There are new items coming in all the time. The owner and fashion extraordinaire, Candace, keeps the store front fun and fresh with feminine style. If you are ever in the area, please stop by.

My Custom Planner: getting organized!

Getting organized has always been a challenge for me. I am one of those artsy-creative types that can function in chaos, but can never find that little piece of paper that I wrote a note on...(laughs at herself). When I found this handy custom planner on a friend's website I had to have one. The planner is very durable and fully customizable. It is created to be a 12 month calendar planner. You don't have to be a photographer to purchase one either. You could be a senior in high school, a busy mom on the go, or a sports coach/teacher. I am so glad I invested in this planner. It has been a time-saver.

Some of the features of the planner:

1. 5-6 blocks to keep all your notes in one place (ex: scheduled sessions, names & numbers, etc.)
2. 12 month calendar
3. a hidden folder
4. 2 ribbon loop holes to attach a writing utensil
5. customized colors with your branding colors and logo

I highly recommend being organized with appointments, notes, and incoming orders. This planner will definitely help you do just that. If you're interested in purchasing one please contact my friend.
Here is her site:
Megan Kathryn Photography (tell her I sent you!)

Margaret & Jeff {married}

The Wedding Venue: Lou Mac Park
The Reception Venue: River Neuse Suites
The Caterer: McCalls BBQ
The Gown: David's Bridal
The Bridesmaids: Dresses: J. Crew
The Ring: Hales Jewelers

I had the pleasure to photograph the wedding of Margaret & Jeff  last month in Oriental. Oriental is such a gorgeous area to get married. The venue for both the wedding & the reception was perfect. My second shooter and I kept commenting back and forth about how lovely the event was. I could smell the water and the saltiness in the air. The event location was meant for a wedding.
The bride got ready at a near by bed and breakfast where we took some of the fun preparation photos. The guys all got ready at River Neuse Suites. The ceremony location was nicely shaded by trees with a beautiful backdrop complete with river view and sailboats floating by. I enjoyed photographing this wedding so much. I wish the gorgeous couple a full and happy life together. Blessings!

American, Baby! Sessions

The American, Baby! Mini Sessions 2012

This sweet family came to visit me at Colerain Beach for their family session. I love this location because there of the private beach and the the lovely colors. Trees surround this private beach, which offers lots of shade during the hot summer. It was such a pleasure to see the White Family again. Enjoy the sneak peeks.