MAY

May 30, 2018 by Andrea Alvarez in Personal

Redundant it may be, my annual love letter to May is here.

And even after our most recent Winter that carried on and on (and on), once May shows up in full force each year, it always feels like all of a sudden everything has turned over. Just like that:

The grass is green and unruly.

The trees are lush and shading us again.

The bright blooms are mother nature's perfect gifts.

The dandelions are bursting with so many new wishes.

The windows are open, letting in loud birdsong and fresh air.

The daylight lingers much longer.

Which means our dinners are starting much later.

Which also means all screens are off so much more - and without a hiccup.

The dresser drawers are stocked with warm weather clothes.

And my babies, their skin, sticky from all the outdoor play.

Which means more bath time before bed time.

Which also means that, after taking in all of this goodness, they (ha, we) tend to all collapse in their beds at night.

Hearts full and renewed.

Despite its exploding energy, May makes me want to be still. Perhaps it's because I well know how fast it'll go by. And it did, again.

And because ever since becoming a Mama, my personal connection to each season has become front + center within this life.

So, for the most part, I do carry out an abundance of quiet observing of this favorite month.

The natural assumption is, Winter is the best for such stillness. But when it's cold and dark for weeks and weeks, too much of that stillness can chip away at my well-being. Not an uncommon occurrence at all.

But, May - her stillness is different. Of course it is.

It's full of big deep breaths, a new face towards new skies.

It's all about re-welcoming the senses; the hearing, the smelling, the tasting, and the touching that is Spring.

Here's what I want to remember about our May 2018:

My big kiddos' Spring Concert at school - it was B's first one and it made my heart just burst.
Playing Baseball across the street - they think it's awesome that I pitch and run after them, ha!
The Jungle Book Play that P participated in through school - so so fun and I cried lots (duh).
Early morning walks and rollerblading rides - sometimes solo, sometimes with my Amigas - YES.
Family bike rides are back, too - yeah!
Mother's Day Weekend - connection with my Mama and women + a date nite with my love - gah.
Surprising P with an early 9th Birthday present - a new bike!
Soulful dates with my Jacs.
Family sleepovers - so much laughter; so grateful.
Memorial Day Weekend - such an awesome combo of home-hangs + plans with our beloved people.

And there were so many other simple moments sprinkled in throughout. Don't forget to cherish your mundane - that's where the love really sticks.

Thank you, May. You'll have my love letters forever.

XO,

Andrea

Go Fish: Share the Struggle

April 10, 2018 by Andrea Alvarez in Personal

I wear my heart on my sleeve, so to speak - I always have. And more than ever, I consider this a personal strength rather than a weakness. With that, there comes being consistently forthcoming about sharing on struggles of all kinds. And if we allow it to be so, our struggles (and the stories that pair with them) can profoundly connect us on this beautifully basic human level, which I wholeheartedly believe to be essential for genuine connection.

As this pertains to being a photographer and building a sustainable photography business, I also believe it is important to talk about the struggles + setbacks that come with the territory. Success, no matter how one measures it, does not happen swiftly. There's always a learning curve taking place and the journey has no end point, really - and why should it? We are constantly shifting and therefore how we define so many things throughout our lives are shifting just as well.

Success requires this very quiet persistence while fanning the (in my case, creative) flames of your work. It also requires surrendering to the timing of many variables; I touched on this a little bit in my post from last week.

Now, I totally get it: there's great value in portraying our professionalism as business owners. Being vulnerable about our setbacks can feel really scary; like it will make us appear to be less than within our profession. We all want to put ourselves out there like we've got it (mostly) together and I value the importance of that position.

But, I don't think that the two sides of this coin are mutually exclusive. They absolutely have a necessary balance to each other and both inspire others who are navigating their own journeys. I value that well-rounded inspiration endlessly, especially as a woman and a mother working from home full-time. It is empowering when other entrepreneurial women/mothers share their stories in this regard.

That also reminds me of a book gifted to me, which is now a favorite in my collection: In the Company of Women. It's a stunning compilation and every once in awhile, like when I'm feeling discouraged or just need an uplifting, I open it up to page through all of the awesome stories. They all remind me to take comfort in the constant process; there is so much strength to harness right where we are.

To come full circle on this post today, I will share this last tidbit:

Last night while I was doing some client work after dinnertime shenanigans wrapped up, I glanced down the stairs from my desk area to tune into what my children were up to. Their infectious giggles + simultaneous bickering caught my attention to their game of Go Fish. I quickly grabbed my camera, for I am reminded daily of how fleeting these moments are and I am a sucker for the sheer simplicity of such a scene.

After grabbing a few candids of their game, it was time for me to join them before the bedtime routine proceeded us. We concluded our evening with dancing (our evenings often include dancing!) to the always-on-lately Coco Soundtrack - SO GOOD.

I had more work to do, but the juggle-struggle always calls...

Go Fish!

These grainy memories, in all their glory. XO

The Embrace

April 04, 2018 by Andrea Alvarez in Personal

My goodness, it feels good to re-enter this space again. April is here! And even though there's fresh snow on the ground in WI this morning (uggggh), Spring WILL come sooner than later and a newfound sense of renewal always comes with it.

To rewind just a bit: my Fall season as a photographer went out with a bang last year. I was so thrilled to conclude my mini-session event as an absolute fun success. Even more so, it felt celebratory to see that my S N E wheels were turning in new motions as 2018 was approaching. January swept in with a most lovely postpartum-family home session and there I was, skipping in delight over the tone being set for a new year for S N E.

And then Life happens, yeah?

Ha, it always does. Life! And after I work through feelings of being utterly flustered with the changing of a course, especially in this case as a business owner, I (almost) always know how to circle back around to accepting what is the here + now.

So with my Winter plans for S N E on pause, I realized that I needed to pause, too.

As I wrapped my energy around this type of resting, I reminded myself that there's purpose to all of our seasons, professionally and personally. And if we're so lucky enough to be in such positions, then I believe that we must tune into what is deeply pulling at us and not take it for granted.

It's all about the embrace...

This time, for me, the embrace was about honoring other intentions for myself as well as for my family. Furthermore, early on it had struck me that this Winter season that just wrapped up (kinda, ha!) was going to be the last one with my youngest at home with me 24/7, for she will head off to 4K come this Fall. I realized that I/we really needed to sink into a simple routine while my bigger kiddos were at school all day. More so, what became of our dinners at the table together during those dark Winter weekday evenings was what kept us close to each other.

Cherish is the word, always.

My postpartum doula work has been wonderfully steady all Winter and my purpose with that work simply overflows my cup. We also enjoyed an awesome family vacation back in February (our first one in a few years that took us away on a plane) with my amazing (ahhhmazing!) parents, and I've been able to reconnect in areas of life that have really needed my attention.

For me to reiterate how grateful I am for this life would be an understatement.

This Spring season upon us feels full of sweet promises. Maybe it's simply what Spring brings out after the cold days officially slip away for another time. Maybe it really is going to be a better season for me to press play here again and unfold what is fresh for S N E. And there's lots of freshness coming!

Whatever it all may be, I will know what to make of it.

Cheers to the embrace of a new Season...

XO,

Andrea

Highlights from our FL/Disney Trip, February 2018