Christmas in July?

I don't know where the concept of "Christmas in July" came from, other than I am pretty sure that retailers are working on their Black Friday advertisements right now.

(You won't be seeing me in any line at the crack of dawn, the stroke after midnight after Thanksgiving or any other God forsaken times, even if it means missing out on slashed prices on socks at Fred Meyer. There is not enough coffee in the world...)

In doing some research however, I discovered that in July of 1944, the U.S. Post Office, Army and Navy - as well as advertising agencies and greeting card companies - started a campaign to promote the early mailing of Christmas cards to troops serving overseas.

Now you know!

To say that the holiday season is right around the corner may seem like a long-shot, but it will be here before we know it. That being said, I want to share a few Christmas additions to my Etsy shop:

Because I am already in the Christmas spirit, enjoy 10-percent off your purchase of individual, sets of 3, 5 and 10 cards for the entire month of July!! It's as simple as entering the coupon code Summer10 at checkout. (This discount does not include custom orders)

I now have "Jingle Bells" stuck in my head...

A new chapter....

Welcome! My name is Leslie and this is my first, futile attempt at blogging! (wish me luck)  The timing for the start of this blog was divinely timed to say the least. I just quit my job of 8 years to begin a new, much more fulfilling, career as a stay-at-home-mom of a 3-year-old and a baby who is on the way.

I want this blog to be a shared experience with all of you, both in terms of the normal, sometimes mundane things we all go through everyday, but also with regard to capturing those moments with the photos we take along the way.

"Sometimes you never will know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory." - unknown

I plan on writing about those things that I find interesting, the humorous adventures I experience with my family and of course, about photography.
As I embark on this new chapter in my life, I am filled with inspiration and also fear. However, I know that everything happens for a reason and that this transition is full of purpose for me to discover along the way.

A little about my story: 

I am married to an amazing man, who also happens to be my best friend. We're going on 5 years of marriage (or what he affectionately refers to as "legalized slavery") and he has been the partner of my dreams, even if he can't seem to throw away trash in the kitchen garbage can.

Together, my husband and I have two children; a 3-year-old who arguably has the best personality that I have ever witnessed in a toddler and a baby on the way. We are so incredibly blessed with our son and I am sure those blessings will multiple even more with our new addition. Boy or girl? Call us old-fashioned, but we prefer to wait for the big moment to know. (No oober pre-baby planning for me!)

In mid-2011, I was inspired to start a business utilizing my love of photography -- I have a degree in photojournalism -- and any other creative skills I could muster up. Thus enters my Etsy shop, Any Occasion Photography, anyoccasionphoto.etsy.com. I started out making blank greeting cards featuring my photos, but have since decided to branch out and offer prints and photo gifts as well.

My desire to own a business began eons ago, and I find even the most mundane details about the process exciting!  (lame, I know) With an Etsy shop established, I moved onto the ever-evolving land of Facebook, facebook.com/AnyOccasionPhotography, and now, this blog!

I sincerely hope that this space will be a place where you can kick back with a cup of coffee, tea, 6-pump sugar free soy latte (to each his own) and enjoy life's moments together.

Leslie

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..."  - Ephesians 3:20