Sunday funday hike

We hiked today! 2.5 miles, basically entirely uphill. We were climbinnnn'! I could not make the very last stretch of hills. My face was so hot and I was saturated in sweat, but it felt amazing - even as we walked the paved trail back to the car. I'm looking forward to hiking and climbing more and more. That kind of exercise really excites me. I do not like treadmills, I do not like indoor cardio. But I feel really great after today, and hope to do this almost biweekly. Hopefully by winter, I will be joining Climb Nashville, an indoor rock climbing gym. With a membership you also have access to unlimited yoga and strength training classes. I've been paying a shitload of attention to what I'm eating lately, and now with all of this physical activity, I'm seriously feeling SO good. So positive! And ready to take on the week.

The Story of a Girl

This is the story of a girl who took a look around today on her drive to work and thought, again, "wow, this is still so new". A girl who took a breath at her desk today and smiled though she was working very hard because it felt great, and she knew she was becoming a great asset to her company. A girl who opened the door as her boyfriend got in from work and told him how cute he was because she was so happy he was home. And, a girl who installed Photoshop on her laptop (finally) and can edit photos while laying in bed, if she wants to, and not on a really loud, really ancient Dell PC. 

This is the story of a girl who is finally, actually content.

Home of the Brave

Bought myself some new, very patriotic shorts (not shown: stars ALL over my butt), realized I had the perfect shirt to match, and hung curtains. I've been celebrating, since I finally landed a "real" job, and I get to work there full time on top of my Free People gig. It's a big relief, and I feel like I can finally get really comfortable. This weekend has been fun so far. We attended Porter Flea today and that was tons of fun. Also got brunch at Mad Donna's, and it was delicious. More on that later. I actually went to the gym yesterday! AND we bought a tv! So today I started 30 Day Shred on said tv, and I'm looking forward to what should be my next and FINAL foray into fitness (since I won't wuss out this time). I'm feeling super positive and super happy. Things are falling into place and the future is looking bright.
xo, Corinne :)

Blue Toad Photography

"Finding" my new job has seriously improved almost every aspect of my life in different ways. First of all, I'm happier. Like significantly and that's the most important thing, because I was feeling kinda hopeless for a while in my old position. I have a job that I enjoy, that allows me to get creative, and I'm thanked by my bosses after every day. I feel like I really fit in here and I'm motivated to do my job well and help improve the company. Secondly, it has allowed me to get to know the creative director here, Rob, who is an incredible photographer. We'd start out just talking about photography a little bit, since it's always been a hobby of mine. Something I felt passionate about and loved to do but never seemed to find the drive to push myself further. As time passed, we'd go more in depth and I'd learn more and more every day. He's given me copies of programs and Strobist tutorials, and helped me decide on my next piece of photo equipment. As of now we have a deal worked out, where I'll bring him subjects to add to his portfolio and in return I get free studio lessons. Just last weekend, I went and helped him set up all of the equipment and completely assisted him on a shoot. I'm feeling so much more fulfilled, and hopeful that my ten years of amateur photography will actually turn into something more. I mentioned my cousin's engagement shoot a few entries back. What a big deal for me, and what a sense of achievement that gave me. I'm super motivated to keep learning, and with the gift of a new flash, to keep expanding my horizons within the field by learning portrait photography and even outdoor lighting techniques. Basically, this entry is a big THANK YOU - to Rob, my job, and myself for making the moves I had to in order to become a happy, complete version of myself. Check out this beautiful portrait from Rob at Blue Toad Photo:

That model isn't half bad either, huh? ;)

There's a glimpse of the shoot where I played assistant. I set that stuff up! Gels and strobes and beauty dishes dance around my head at night. I'm definitely amped about diving right into this.

If you're interested, please visit the Blue Toad Photography website.
And "like" the Facebook page!
Word of mouth is huge in such a competitive industry.
You'll definitely be seeing more from us.

Anyone who lives locally (Suffolk County, NY) who would be interested in having portraits taken, feel free to email me at corinnegalvin@gmail.com.