Melissa Beck Photography » Premier Wedding Photographer for New England and Colorado

Sitting in our hotel room on the bed across from one another… The bed covered with lab tops, binders, and notebooks. With the pages full of ideas and plans spread everywhere, we stare at each other.

Overwhelmed by ideas and dreams, yet sitting in the reality of where we actually were on our journey…

If you remember, in November we were lucky enough to pack up and head to New Haven, CT for a mentor session with the ever-so-kind, wonderful, and talented Justin and Mary. They opened up their home and hearts, time and life to us. They challenged us as a team, as people. They challenged Jake in his supporting role behind the scenes, and me as a woman, wife, photographer and mother. Mostly, we explored and we were challenged with where we are in our journey, where are heading, and how we want to get there.

Were we inspired? Definitely. Overwhelmed… 100%. We were given ideas and tasks to move forward with, asked thought provoking questions (that I thought we had fully know the answers to) when we walked through their door and openly asked who are you, what do you portray, but mostly what do you love?

We returned to our hotel room after hours and hours of talking, thinking, planning, questioning, eating and dreaming with Justin and Mary. I flopped on the bed. Tears streaming down my cheeks, laying in a heap of self pity, I WAS LOST. Lost in a dream of what I wanted, lost in newly realized challenges (personally and professionally) and lost in the fact that I had a LOT to do to when we got home!

I didn’t want to do it. It was going to be hard and full of self exploration. I was pouting and be stupidly stubborn. What was the point anyways?  I wanted the answers and I wanted them handed them to me. Don’t get me wrong here. Justin and Mary gave us hundreds of answers and it was an AMAZING experience. All of it. But more importantly, in this experience  I was poked and prodded. Asked to search and challenged to embrace the journey.

We were home and back on our own turf… It took a few weeks of thought (and again, with the self pity) to really grasp what the heck was going on here with us and the studio. But, after those few weeks, that is when most of it hit me. Whap! Like a giant board to the head. Now… Now we were ready to dive in… 🙂 Now, I was more determined and inspired than ever!

Again, we sit staring at each other… Are they good ideas? Will they benefit the way we do business?  Will our clients embrace it all? How do you feel about it? No, how do you feel about it? Where do we start? Where are we going and more importantly how do we get there?? So many questions, so many ideas!

As I just slightly skim the surface of our totally awesome J&M visit, I can honestly and proudly say THANK YOU!!!

Thank you to you both for taking the time with us and for all of what you have shared. For really, (and I mean really) challenging me to dig deep. Because you both reopened my eyes and heart to the importance of embracing and  learning. Embracing that it will be a journey and that transformation takes time. That knowing who you are and what you love, what makes you up as a person, and to really love who that person is… That is the answer. And that was the BEST answer you could have given me.

And with that, with self exploration comes change. Personally and professional. With new goals set and determination brewing like a wild fire, I say this. Get ready. It is a learning and growing process for the studio right now and really, I am so excited for all that is to come in the near future….

Beginning with our new in home studio. With a small sneak peek at our inspiration board,  here is some of our progress.

Goodbye purple wall!

We are half way there to having cased windows.

Our vintage cameras to be displayed. (More on that project later.)

And a sneak at the new fabric for the chairs.

Excited. Stay tuned and have a wonderful weekend!

Definition of a BLOG: a Web-site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer; also : the contents of such a site

— blog verb

— blog·ger noun

— blog·ging noun

Okay let’s be real for a second. You did not need a Webster’s definition of what a blog is in today’s world. Today however, I did.  I read and re-read it over and over. An ‘online personal journal with reflections’…

A personal journal with reflections…

So I sit staring at the flashing cursor. Will the page fill on its own? Will my blog really fill itself? Will the pictures and text just appear? Will it be full of interesting, captiviating, well though out, keep you coming back for more,  posts? Will the posts be in the correct catagory, will the titles be fun and cool? Wait what is fun and cool anyways…? Will anyone read them?

Will I be able to tell the story of my life, or even your story when I am allowed to? Will I be able to photograph my own life and share it all with you guys? Will I be able to open the door to my heart, marriage, my family, our experiences, joys, sorrows, excitement, love, and blessings.  Will I be able to really create a ‘personal journal with reflections’…

These are the questions that fill my head and fingers as I begin to type. Getting caught up in the smallest details, missing the moments, not documenting our life. Not again, not this year. This year will be about the Jacob and Melissa story. (more on that later) Our story, our life. It is the year for me to open up the door to my heart, marriage, my family, our experiences, joys, sorrows, excitement, love, and blessings. To admit my quirks, to share my cooking attempts, date night butterflies, crazy-fun-madly-in-love, can I just pretty please get a shower in before noon, life with you all. Are you all ready for this? I mean really ready? It could get a little interesting around here. 🙂

I am so excited for what is in store for 2011. We are only ten days in and together we have already accomplished so much together. Taking a couple of weeks off, I attempted to organize my personal life before I dove in head first into my new goals and challenges that I have in store for little ol’ MB. It was a good start, with much more work to take place but I can say this…

BRING IT ON 2011! I cannot wait to share all of the new and exciting things that are in the works!

And whats a go get ’em welcome to 2011 post without a picture!? From our snowy Sunday… Life with the Becks. THIS just maybe one of the many many reasons I secretly think Finley wishes another family would have chosen her. I hope you all look forward to stopping by and hanging out for a few minutes each day. If you cannot laugh at life then… at least you can laugh at mine.