Mallory Nicole Photography & Design

I am usually a sucker for design blogs, but for a couple of months now I have been reading a blog written by Casey Wiegand; she has a beautiful soul, full of compassion. God has used her posts to comfort me and challenge me to have more faith.

At times, when I get caught up in daydreams about a new car, or the couch that I want for my library I get overwhelmed by the lack of freelance work I’m getting. I worry about how I’m unable to get nicer things, forgetting that I have more than I need already.

Casey and her husband have so much faith that God will provide what they need when they need it, not just for them, but their two beautiful children. Reading her words has moved me in many ways to be a better person.

I don’t want to give away all of her awesome qualities and details; you can check that out on her blog here.

Photos are from here.

Drawing is one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, I don't take the time to brainstorm many ideas. I just wanted to share a couple of my favorites.

Before Daniel and I started dating, I drew him a photo of a man in a top hat. Soon after we were dating a lady with a parasol came about. This is the first of many "Daniel and Mallory" drawings that were made.

I really wanted to draw something with a lot more detail than I normally put in, and I love birdcages. Thus, the birdcage body was created.

Last January, I decided I would create goals for 2011. Daniel and I make a list of goals together, and then I make one for myself. We are so happy to have completed all of our goals!
Between the two sets, I had 11 goals I was trying to complete. Some are one time, but most are long lasting and I hope to carry them on.

2011 goals as a couple:

Buy a House - we were planning on buying one in November, and ended up buying one in March.

Travel out of State - Our honeymoon was the last time we left Texas. We went to Missouri and Florida this year.

Hang out with 2 married couples a month - If you're the first of your friends to get married, there is no one to tell you how important it is to connect with married couples. We maintain our college friends, while still hanging out with our new married friends.

Give to our church

My list (only a couple that I'm most proud of):
Get a New Job - In August I was let go with no reason, and since I've worked at freelance. It barely brings money now, but it is work, and I'm happier than I was when we had two incomes going.

Be positive - The stress from work made me a negative person. I took things out on Daniel, things that didn't matter. When I talked to people I talked about how horrible I felt at work. In April, it was like a switch was flipped. I tried my hardest not to talk negatively about work, not to allow anger to get a hold of me at work, and I became more of a wife and friend that I knew I needed to be. It's a goal I will continue to work towards, but now I feel it's part of me, striving for joy.

I wanted to share my own goals for 2012. They're written on my chalkboard wall, and a paper that I'll hang up somewhere I see often.
1. I need to build up a base clientele. I have a couple of things in the works, and hope they work out.
2. An idea for a book came into my head. I've researched and daydreamed about it, but I have never focused. It's time to do that.
3.The larger you draw, the more detail you have to put in to complete it. This is my way of working on a big project with lots of focus and time.
4. I need to do this for me. To encourage myself to seek out work, and to feel useful. If I have to work part-time to supplement my freelance income, then that's what I'll do.

Creating a set of goals is so great. Do you set some? If yes, what are some of them? If not, I encourage you to, and display them where you'll see them everyday.

I recently took a look back at photos from our 2009 Honeymoon in San Diego. Suddenly I was seeing so much potential in them, and these are a few of my favorites. The above photos are from Ocean Beach. The last in this set is printed and waiting for a frame at our house.

We loved Ocean Beach! There are so many surfers, and with an excellent telephoto lens, we were able to see up close. I hope to find a place to hang this in our house, but for now it remains digital. (also at Ocean Beach)

Surfing is on my bucket list, but as soon as I stuck my toe in the Pacific, I chickened out. If you have never been in the pacific, it's cold...at least in May in San Diego it is!

rator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> This pier was a quick walk from our hotel. San Diego is GREAT for walking. We walked most places, and never broke a sweat. A couple of times we made a two mile trek to Balboa Park, walked around there, then walked the 2 miles back, and never sweat. Ever. By April in Houston I step outside and instantly sweat. These Wieses love San Diego!

And my favorite photo is below. I'm proud that I took it. This photo is a place on the edge of Balboa. I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of the city with perfect weather!

The week after Thanksgiving, Dan and I went to downtown Houston to take some photos. We didn't get any variety in location since we were setting a tripod up far enough away that someone could grab it.

I always love photos in places with... "character"...
Some call them rundown, others think they may be a bit dangerous, but I love the juxtaposition of old rundown surroundings and intentional outfits. A dream of mine is to photograph a woman in a beautiful gown in a decaying building.
These are photos for Christmas cards. I love them and wanted to print a lot out, but alas, I do not want to see myself all over this house.

I hope you have a Happy Christmas and enjoy time with your family! Here is our Christmas greeting from the Wieses to you:

I love the Christmas season! The lights, giving, and cool weather (sometimes) that make this season great! I especially love the break in summer heat that makes you want to sit close to your loved ones, and bundle up for a movie. Add a Caramel Macchiato to the equation and you have perfection!

With all of that said, I thought I'd share some of the Christmas decor around our house!