Put Down That Phone!

I’ve been trying to remind myself to put down the phone and grab my DSLR!
It’s gotten to where I only use my DSLR for work and travel and that NEEDS to change!
Little buddy deserves more than a bunch of poor quality Instagram photos from his childhood. 
Now don’t get my wrong I LOVE me some Instagram. Those who follow along know that’s a fact! I’m not stepping away from Instagram or my beloved camera phone…..nope!

BUUUUUUT

I’m trying to remind myself to reach for the DSLR verses trying to hunt for my phone.

I’m not stressing over lighting or crazy edits. Just simple and quick. A couple shots here and there! 

Since we all know a post isn’t as fun without photos. Here are a few that I’ve recently snapped since I started my “Put Down the Phone” project!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to join in on the “Put Down the Phone” project let me know!
Maybe we can start a weekly linky party.

Instagram  Kendra_Pryor
Facebook

Project Life:I Want To Do It But Where Do I Start?

I have several friends that want to start Project Life albums this year but feel overwhelmed and are not sure where to start. Can you sympathize? If so this post if for you!

Let me start off by saying that I am in no way affiliated with Becky Higgins or Project Life. I’m just a customer who loves the product and wants to help!

The Good Ol’ Days:
I miss how Becky used to sale her kits. It was a one stop shop type of thing. You paid for a full kit and got everything you needed to complete an album in one whack. I’m glad I started Project Lifeing (It’s a cool word let’s go with it) before the change. Now everything is sold separately and you need to purchase the items you think you need for your kit. I get it but I can see how this could be overwhelming to someone who is new the whole Project Life craze.

Nuts and Bolts:
The great thing about PL is that it’s simple. It’s all done for you. All you need is a little time, printed photos, and a pen. That’s it! You can take it as far as you want to go after you have the basic items or you and keep it simple.  With that being said the Core Kit is a big part of the simplicity of Project Life. It’s the design element that’s pulls it all together. This is where you want to start!

Select a core kit that you love. This year I’m using Clementine! 

 

 

The Album:
Now that you have your design elements picked out it’s time to add an album to your cart. Becky has an album designed to match each core kit. You can select your core kit’s album or choose her solid white album. I always go with the album that coordinates with the kit I’m using.

 

 

The Pages:
This is where it can get a little tricky. There are several different photo page designs and Becky is not the only company that sales great quality photo pages that work with the Project Life album.

My suggestion would be to start with  a pack of Design A. Get to know it use it in your layouts. THEN decided where you want to go from there. There are tons of ways you can use this layout.

Once you’ve become familiar with the Design A layout you can decide if you want to keep going with it throughout your album or mix it up a little. I’m one for mixing it up!

Design A and D (shown below) are the 2 designs that I use most often.

Becky tends to run out of photo pages. Don’t let that stop you! Check out other companies such as We are Memory Keepers for photo pages protector options.

Instagram 
We love it……right? It’s great for capturing those precious yet random moments which is what Project Life is all about.  If you’re a big Instagramer like myself you may want to include your Instagram photos in your album.

 

Love this photo page proctor for my Instagram photos!

 

The Extras:
You can go as far as you want with this. Nothing below is necessary. In fact my 1st album only included the items we’ve talked about above and it’s beautiful BUT if you want to add a little extra love to your album here are a few simple and cost effective ways you can do that!

Washi Masking Tape: You can find it online, at Target, and at you local craft supply store 

 

Smash Book Goodies: I love to use Smash Book accessories in my albums. They’re easy to find and not too pricey! You can find them at Target, online, and your local craft store.

 

Scrapbook Paper Kits: Becky sales scrapbook paper that coordinates with the album but I like to find design elements that coordinate while adding a little something different so I don’t purchase her scrapbook paper.

You can purchase scrapbook paper by the sheet or in a kit like the one shown below. I love that the kits usually include coordinating letters and design elements. Look for scrapbook paper kits online, at Target, Wal-Mart, your local craft store and even  discount stores like Tuesday Morning and Ross. Be sure you take a coupon along if your purchase yours at Michaels or Hobby Lobby! Every little bit helps, right?

 

Alphabet stickers: Yep! I use them a lot in my album! Easy and cost effective way to add a little pop to your pages! 

 

Stamps: Because they’re cute and easy to use! Tons of great stamps out there! Find a few that you like that complement the overall look of your album.

 

The Personal Touch:
Love that you not only add photos to your album but memorabilia as well. Here are some personal items I like to add to my Project Life album.
-Printed Blog Post
-Recipes
-Receipts from outings or things I want to remember 
-Letters/cards/invitations
-Printed out emails or fb comments
-Drawings
-Magazine articles or pictures that I like 
-Tickets from a movie/concert/show
-And the list goes on………

So what do you think? Are you ready to get your Project Life on? If you’re still not sure what to do I’ve included links to everything you’ve seen in this post. You can follow the links and just purchase what you see here and you’ll be good to go!

I’ll be sharing my Project Life layouts through Instagram! If you’re on Instagram let’s be buddies so I can see what you’re doing with your album as well!

 

Quick and Cheap Photo Gallery

This little project takes places in my studio!
The plan is to eventually order canvases for the walls BUT we have a problem.
I’m SUPER indecisive when it comes to deciding on something I’m going to be locked into for awhile.  You should see me trying to pick out a yearly planner or paint color……….oh man it’s bad!
I have tons of favorite images which changes daily. How in the world am I supposed to pick a small handful stick with them?
This is a decision that will take some time and these walls needed a little love while Mrs. Indecisive over here makes up her mind! The quick  yet temporary  fix?

!ENTER TODAY’S PROJECT!

 

It’s exactly what the title says!

Quick: It took me 30 minutes to put this together! I hate measuring things!

Nope this ADD gal does not have the attention span to measure everything thing out perfectly which drives the hubby nuts!

I just eyeballed it! Not prefect but eh it works!

Cheap: I printed a few of my favorite images. Ran to Walmart and bought mini clothes pins and twine which you can find in their craft section. 

Place a little nail at the end of each section and twist the twine around the nail head until it’s secure. Get your clothes pins and go to town!

There ya have it! The perfect fix for the indecisive girl!

Another great thing about this project is that it’s super versatile!

It’s so easy to change the photos out. This would be great for Instagram photos and random mementos!

This big blank wall above the changing table screams “AWESOME GALLERY WALL USE ME” but until I make up my mind this will do!

Because we all love a little behind the scenes shot here’s some of my prop stash.
Notice the key word “some”.

Yeah there are 2 other shelves on the other side of these and a garage full of stuff!

Ummm and no I'm not preggers silly!
Just in case you missed the top of this post this project was done in my studio. Don't let the changing table and welcome Savannah sign throw you off!





Ps….Have you seen our super cute new blog button? I love it!

     

Hodgepodge

 

Definition
Hodgepodge- a jumbled mixture

Yep that’s exactly what this post is going to be.
My brain works best when it’s a jumbled mess.

 

My fall shooting schedule starts in 18 days.
I’m excited and scared at the same time.
Last year was hard.
I was a walking zombie and under a lot of stress.
Me and stress are NOT BFFs.
My body just doesn’t handle stress well.
I gain weight even though I’m busting my butt at the gym and eating a good diet.
My skin breaks out.
I zone out a lot.
My eyes which are already big get even bigger and well it’s just not pretty.
I’m dead set on making a change this fall.
Remember? I wrote all about the change here!  
I’m getting better about saying no, and setting boundaries!
I think it’s going to pay off.
This fall you’ll see me skipping down the streets loving life and doing cartwheels instead of hooked up to coffee IV looking like a scary mess.

 

Speaking of cartwheels I decided to do one the other day.
I ended up pulling something in my back and neck.
Kent was there to witness the awesomeness. 
I will not be defeated cartwheel! 

 

I’m crossing something off my bucket list!
At the end of this month I’m getting certified to teach a cardio dance class!
I’m soooo excited!!!!!
I 1st started working out to help with my anxiety but ended up getting so much more out of it!
I’ve lost 60lbs……
changed my lifestyle……
been motived by MANY others…….
It’s time for me to pay it forward!
I can’t wait to teach and use my class as a platform to help motivate and inspire others in their journey.
Sometimes a workout is so much more than just a workout!

Y’all know I love to dance!
The class I’ll be teaching is called Flirty Girl Fitness. If you’re in the DFW area and want to give it a try I’ll keep you in the loop as to when and where my classes will be! I would love to see you!

 

 

I was planning on doing an Instagram How-To post.
Yeah……
I worked on it off and on all last week BUT
I’m just not good at explaining things through type.
Sooooo I thought I could answer a few questions in vlog form.
Now talking…..
THAT I can do!
So if you have any Instagram questions throw them at me!

 

We’re still making pointless random videos.
I like them.
I think one day we’ll look back and get a kick out of them!
So we keep on…….

PS…..We have a new family member which I’ll be introducing to you later BUT you can see a little glimpse of him in the clip below. If you follow me on Instagram you already know allllll about him!
Instagram folks get the inside scoop!

Kent Wants a Man Cave

Kent wanted to talk to me about football.
I say Football shmootball!

 

I think that’s enough randomness for today.
PEACE!

Don’t forget to leave your Instagram questions!

Vacation is Important

I recently took a little time off work. I needed said vacation more than I thought I did. I realized this on the 2^nd day of my vacation.

It went a little something like this……..

 

I got up early to have a little breakfast date with Kent before he headed off to work.
We were at Market Street.
Love their oatmeal bar and coffee!
We chatted and enjoyed each other’s company.
I sipped on my coffee and talked about all the things I wanted to do on my vacation: cook, bake, read, blog, work on my Project Life Album, visit with family…….
Out of nowhere I started crying.
I wasn’t crying because I was sad I was crying because I was relaxed……no pressure, no deadlines, no one waiting on me for something, no never ending to do list that needed my attention. It was a feeling I realized I haven’t felt in a very long time.

Quiet………stillness….….absences of pressure……….peace.

It was as if someone slipped something in my coffee. I could feel my shoulders release and my body relax. I had no idea I was carrying around that much stress. I guess I’ve just become used to it.

 

 

Kent of course didn’t know what in the world was going on but sat with me and listened while I talked things through.

 

I find so much joy in what I do that I’ve let it take over me. I work long hours. I go months without taking a full day off. There are days that I’m running on very little sleep so I can try and fit it all in. I focus so much on my job that I’ve forgotten about my other passions, my house is a mess, my family suffers, and Kent often gets the short end of the stick.

I know I ‘m not alone in this as I’m sure there are others out there struggling with the same thing.

Can I get an amen?

Reducing my stress even if just for a week allowed me to come out of my fog and gain some perspective.

 

THIS is why vacation is important.

 

It’s like pressing an internal restart button. Pressing that button will not only make you a better mother, wife, friend, it will also make you a better employee even if you are your own boss (like myself).

 

What have I taken away from this little life lesson I’ve learned?

-I’m cutting my fall work load back.
-I’m rearranging my pricing.
-I’m scheduling days off and I’m going to try my darndest to make sure that my days off are guilt and pressure free so they are actually beneficial to me.
-I’m going to continue to work on saying no. As much as I want to do it all I simple can’t. My free time is precious and fleeting. I need to make sure that that things I commit myself to are things I want to do, not things I feel pressured into doing. People will just have to understand.
-I will not loose sight of my other passions! They need love too!
-I will take my camera out and shoot just for fun!
-Lastly I will make sure that I take some sort of a vacation twice a year even if it’s a staycation!

Why?
Because vacation is important!

 

         

Happy 1st Day of Spring

 

I’m blogging over on my photography blog today and sharing some recent landscape photos I took at the Dallas Spring Bloom event! I always feel so awkward when I blog on my photo blog….

Should I be professional or my wacky self which is soooo not professional?
Should I use slang words like wayyyyy or FUNNESS?
Should I leave my thoughts on each and every photo I post or is that too much?
Should I just post pictures and just keep my mouth shut? Yes, that would probably be best!

I usually end up staring at my computer screen for an hour or so trying to decide what to do then end up posting a few boring sentences.

Soooooo (see I like to use slang and words that do not exist) if you would like celebrate the 1st day of Spring with me I hope you’ll click on the link below and check out what I like to take pictures of while I’m not working!

*Kendra Pryor Photography the Blog*

Ninja Wanted to Wish you a Happy Heart Day

 

Hope you’re having a wonderful Valentine’s day!

I just finished Kent’s Valentine’s card.
We make silly cards for each other every year. It’s kind of our thing and I LOVE it!

He always comes up with the BEST ideas for the cards makes. This year I made him one that has a few pictures of his favorite star crush (Zoe Deschanel). I hope he likes it!

We have plans to cook dinner and watch Super 8 tonight.

It’s a low key Valentine's but that’s what we do best!

 

Anyhoo just wanted to pop in and share this picture of sweet little Ninja with you!
If you would like to see more Valentine’s pictures of this little dude hop on over to my photo blog! He sure knows how to work the camera and my heart!

 

*Kendra Pryor Photography
*Adventures of Ninja the Bunny

I’m all over the place! Find me here……

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest

Back from Arkansas

I’m bAAAAAck! 
Y’all let me tell you something, the Ozark Mountains are stunning this time of year. No wonder I had such a hard time finding a cute cabin for us to stay in. We ended up staying in Hot Springs and took a day trip to the Ozarks. I am still on could nine thinking about all the beautiful things I saw……bold rich fall colors (the prettiest I’ve ever seen), natural waterfalls, maintains, old rustic bridges, vacant shacks…..the list just goes on and on. I was wishing my niece was with me. We would’ve had tons of backdrop options for her senior pictures. Oh my gosh to be a photographer in Arkansas this time of yea; I can’t even imagine! 

 

I now have trillions of pictures of fall scenery that I have no idea what I’m going to do with.

I was thinking about maybe making a fall picture calendar or may using the images on notes cards.
I have no idea! I know I’m going to frame a few and hang them in our living room…someday! I’ve been saying I’m going to do gallery way for the longest!

 

Kent and I pulled out the tripod and took our Christmas card photos. This is our second year doing this as Kent refuses to let me hire a photographer. Let me tell ya it’s not easy! We were able to get a few cutes ones. I will say we did a better job using the tripod this year. Last year was even more of a mess! I think we got maybe 2 good ones last year but we have 6 or so keepers. I’m cool with that!  

 

                    

I was in need of a new headshot so my sweet hubby took over the camera for a bit. I feel pretty lucky that Kent also knows his way around a camera! I told him what type of pose and shot I was looking for and he took care of the rest.

On a side note I HATE being on the other side of the camera.

I now want some type of chemical peel.

Annnnddd I have one eye that’s bigger than the other when I smile….in some shots (you can see what I’m talking about in the pic on the right). What in the world is up with that? I think that’s a new thing.

 

Once I have a chance to work through more of our photos I’m going to share more about our trip to fall heaven! We already talking about going back next year!

When Beauty Stops you in your Tracks

I took this during a walk in the countryside with my mom and my hubby (Kent) last weekend. This sight made my stop in my tracks…..which happens often especially when I have my camera in hand. My walking buddies continued their walk while I got lost in my own little world.

A world that I love.

A world that calms me.

A world that makes me forget about all the craziness going on in my life.

A world that’s just me, my camera, and beauty.

This moment made me think of my favorite quote…….

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.”
- Eleanora Duse

I would say my soul is alive and kicking!
What about you?

 

 

 

I’m linking up with Simple as That

Ninja the Bunny is a Model

 

I hosted Halloween mini sessions over the weekend and just I couldn’t help myself….

I had to snap a few pictures of little Ninja before I cleaned everything up.

He was soooo stinking good!

He has this whole modeling thing down! I always have a camera jammed in his face which I guess is paying off because he just sat there and let me snap away. I even put him in his Halloween costume for a few pics.

YES, I got him a Halloween costume! You can laugh all you want but wait until you see how cute he looks, then you’ll want to apologize!

 

Another one of Ninja’s modeling pictures.

He’s so fancy!

Poor thing probably hates when I have mini sessions at the house because he knows what’s coming next!

I’m doing Valentines mini sessions towards the end of January. Maybe I’ll dress him up as cupid for those pictures.

I’m  kidding….

or am I?

 

Adventures of Ninja the Bunny on Facebook

Pictures Need No Words…..

Okay I lied……maybe just a few words but I promise to keep it short!
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post like this so I thought I would catch you some on some of my recent photo shoots.

Work has been going great, actually it’s been amazing! I’m closing in on my 2nd year as a  photographer and I’m smitten with my job! I’ve grown, learned, laughed, and yes even cried a little. Being a photographer is not all grins and giggles but there is definitely a of lot joy in this profession! For the 1st time in a long time I feel like I’m doing exactly what I should be doing.

Get ready for picture overload……..

You can see more from this session by clicking HERE!

 

 

You can see more from this session by clicking HERE!

 

You can see more from this session by clicking HERE!

 

 

You can see more from this session by clicking HERE!

 

You can see more from this session by clicking HERE!

 

 

 

 

You can see more from this session by clicking HERE!

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not to self: Man doing this post just further shows me how behind I am on my photo session blogging over on my photography blog. I need to play catch up in a bad way!

If you would like to see more from these sessions as well as some of my other work stop by my photography blog and say hi! You can find it By clicking HERE.

 

*****

Our mascot Ninja now has his own facebook page. If you’re an animal lover or just like cute furry things be sure to follow the link and click like so you can follow along in his adventures!

Adventures of Ninja the Bunny