For those of you not in California, we’ve been having near perfect weather here the last few days.  Sunny, cloudless and gorgeous.  Not too hot or not too cold.    I’m a total wimp when it comes to cold weather…anything below 55 degrees and I’m a popsicle.  And I don’t fair much better in the heat.  Unless I’m by the pool with a cold, tropical drink in my hand, I like my temperatures in the high 70’s or low 80’s.  Because when you have been born and raised in California, you do get that spoiled with pretty great weather most of the time.

With the coldest season of winter upon us, I’m soaking in as much sunshine as I can get.  Yet another sign pointing to the fact that I’m getting older.  I never used to understand why adults cared so much about what the weather was like.  How or why it was such a topic of conversation.  And now, I have become one of them.  The days are getting shorter and I know the chill of winter is coming.  In the meantime, I’m spending as much time outdoors as possible.  Luckily, my pup Chloe feels the same way so our walks have been getting longer.  Relaxing or working outside has become routine.  And when my husband is around to join us, it’s pretty much perfect.  Because really, what’s better than spending the afternoon outside on a beautiful day with the two loves of your life?  Nothing.

Last Thursday night, I headed to a conference in Sacramento to hear the renowned photographer David Ziser speak.  Sacramento happened to be the last stop on his “Captured by the Light” tour that traveled all over the country.  Besides being an industry great, he’s been in the wedding photography business for over 25 years.  It was a fun filled night of advice, techniques and tips on how to successfully run your own business.

One of the points David made was how important it is to differentiate yourself from the “competition”.  Knowing your unique strengths and what makes you original.  It’s a point I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.  From an early age, we grow up wanting to fit in.  Particularly with our friends.  As kids, we want what they have.  The same toys, the same color backpack or the same Care Bears lunchbox (how I always longed for a Care Bears lunchbox like the one my friend Courtney had).  And as kids grow up and become teenagers, this pressure to fit in only becomes stronger.  The pressure to wear what your friends wear, talk like your friends talk and do what they do.  It becomes a constant cycle of everyone striving to be the same.  Being different from the masses is often equivalent to being made fun of, bullied or teased.  And no one wants that.  So the qualities that make someone unique or different are often hidden away.  Luckily, as teens grow into adulthood, this pressure of fitting in seems to slowly be lifted.  College often becomes a period of learning about who you are, what you want to become and celebrating those things that make you different.  And for many people, feeling comfortable in their own skin for the first time. Because once these young adults enter the workforce, it becomes all about standing out instead of fitting in.  Interview questions asked often include ‘What makes you different’ or ‘What can you bring to this company that no one else can’.  Employers are looking for a candidate that will bring a unique perspective to their company.  In order to be remembered, you need to differentiate yourself from everyone else.

Standing out in a country of millions is no easy task.  This is especially true in a profession where multiple people possess the same skills and education.  Through my own experiences in the past few years, I’ve learned that confidence is key.  Know who you are and be confident in that.  Celebrate your differences and what makes you unique.  Don’t let others convince you to be something that you are not.  There is only one you and you should be proud of who you are.

It’s something I remind myself of all the time.  To embrace my quirks and individuality.  And as I write this I can almost hear my favorite group of my teenage years, BSB, crooning in the background, “What makes you different, makes you beautiful…”

I think no one said it better than Dr. Suess himself, “Today you are You, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

How it’s already the end of October, I have no idea.  The days are going by too fast and the weeks seem to melt into months.  And every year once Halloween is over, November and December are gone in the blink of an eye.  Still, the season of fall is one of my favorite times of the year.  There’s a lot to like about fall. The smells of cinnamon and pumpkin.  The cool, crisp morning air and the sound of leaves crunching against the pavement.  Curling up on the couch with a good book, a cozy blanket and a warm cup of tea.  Comfort food.  Digging out boots and scarves from the back of the closet that haven’t seen the light of day in 6 or 7 months. But my favorite thing about fall are the warm colors everywhere.  Nothing beats walking through a park or down the street and seeing the leaves on the trees in all the different shades of red, orange and yellow.  Here are a few taken around my neighborhood.

In my opinion, the best fall color is orange.  No other month wears the color orange quite like October.

A few things orange…

And I can’t mention orange and October without saying something about the Giants.  NL Champions and playing in the World Series for the first time since ’02.    And on their way to bringing the first-ever World Championship home to San Fran.  SO exciting.  Go Giants!! ♥

Ok blog readers, I’m going to get a bit sappy for a minute or two.  I love my husband.  Majorly.  You know when you stare at something for so long that you can’t think straight?  I have been having too many of those moments lately when Matt will walk in and help me see everything clearly again.  He brings everything back into focus.  After being together for over nine years, he really has become the yin to my yang.  He is my perfect balance in life.  I over think things and I am a bit of a perfectionist and he understands that.  And at times, even though I don’t want to listen to it, I know he is right.  The love that I have for him grows stronger by the hour and reminds me daily why I am so passionate about being a wedding photographer.  I love love.  Love at its purist form is magical.  Beautiful.  Being able to document that through the lens of my camera is so fulfilling.  I’ve never wanted to succeed at anything more than this.  And when I get tired and doubts creep into my mind, Matt is there.  I know God brought this wonderful man into my life for a million reasons.  Reason #921, to keep me going when the going gets tough.  Reason #468, to make me laugh when I don’t even want to smile.  Reason #1043, he makes a mean noodle soup.  For reals.

And because every blog post should have a photo, here’s a few of Matt and I.  Taken randomly the other week just because.  I chose them because it shows us…happy, silly, laughing and in love.  And really, that’s all that matters.