Written by Candace on November 11, 2014 | 1 Comment

Multnomah
Whiskey Library
The Perfect
Manly Date Idea

Vitaliy and I just returned from another lovely trip to Portland to visit his 91 year old grandmother.

Portland holds a special place in our hearts. Grandma is the main reason, but Portland’s creative energy and charming neighborhoods also keep us coming back for more. Being back there reminded me of an epic date night we had earlier this year that I never shared with you. Our date nights are looking a little different these days (this is pre-baby). Or this may have been the evening that led to said baby. Just kidding…kind of.

I was very excited about this date night because I planned it all on my own and it was set to be a surprise for Vitaliy. I think it’s important to have a good balance of activities that you both like to do and this one was planned completely with my Scotch-enthusiast in mind. I came across the Multnomah Whiskey Library in one of my social media feeds and pinned it on a secret board. I knew I had to take Vitaliy on our next trip to Portland. I did some further research on Yelp which really came in handy to get the best possible experience. It has a total underground, exclusive club vibe to it which can either attract or repel potential customers. I just planned our visit around all the feedback and we enjoyed every minute. The spirits and the eats were pretty unforgettable and we got to enjoy them in such a unique environment.

Perhaps your date nights need a little bit of a masculine touch to get your husband a little more excited. Multnomah Whiskey Library is located in Portland, Oregon, but I feel like these underground Prohibition type bars are popping up all over the place. Do a little research! Or just plan your own tasting at a nice bar/restaurant in your area. Regardless, the idea is to plan a date with him in mind and fully participate in something he loves.

Here are some other Portland inspired date ideas for those visiting the area or for sparking an idea to implement in your own town.

Beer Tasting
Donut Date
Bike Riding

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Written by Candace on September 30, 2014 | 2 Comments

Fall, My Favorite Time of Year

It’s that time of year again! Fall is definitely my favorite.

I love the anticipation of the holidays, the change of the weather, and most importantly the comfort and coziness of getting to pull out my sweaters again. The past few months, Vitaliy and I have had to readjust our date nights. With the nausea and fatigue I experienced my first trimester, I was definitely more inclined to spend relaxing time together in the comfort of my own home. But now that I’m starting to feel normal again (minus my growing belly) and have more energy, I’m starting to daydream and brainstorm some more exciting outings with my husband. I’m pretty sure he’ll be grateful!

I’ve got pumpkin picking on my mind, but before that, I’m hoping to make a trip to an apple orchard in the near future. We went last year on a trip to St. Louis and it was the perfect double date. Whether we go on a upcoming trip to the Midwest or here in the bay area, I hope to squeeze something in before it’s too late. It’ll be the perfect excuse to finally try baking a pie together too.

What are your traditions this time of year? I’d love to hear some of your ideas!

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Written by Candace on September 23, 2014 | 3 Comments

Clients Always Come First

Vitaliy and I are absolutely overwhelmed by all of your love and support after our recent announcement. Thank you all so much!

Prior to finding out our big news, Vitaliy and I had actually already started making some changes to our business. One of which was postponing blogging images until after we had delivered them to clients first and then to the appropriate vendors. It has been one of the best decisions we’ve made to date.

When we first started our business, we had no clue what to do. So, we did what most photographers do and look around at those who have gone before and try to incorporate things that have worked for them. We still learn a great deal from others, both in the industry and outside the industry, but after doing this now for 6 years you start to learn that things that work for one person don’t necessarily work for others.

Blogging is a great marketing tool and it has worked wonders for our business, but our number one goal in our business is to give our clients the best possible experience. And we have found that if we hold off on blogging, we can deliver our clients’ images even faster. And we know that’s precisely what they want.

The other reason we have found this works best for us is that blogging can take up so much of our time. This has also helped keep the blog in it’s rightful place, as a blessing to our business and not a burden. I can blog when I choose to rather then feeling like I “have” to. And boy am I thankful for that! Because shortly after making this change, I found out I was pregnant and there were definitely days, even weeks, I was not able to function like normal.

I’m so thankful that we’ve reached a point in our business that we’re confident in making moves that work for us and our clients, even if it’s not industry norm. We’re now delivering our images to clients faster than we ever have in the past! And that’s what matters most.

And now that I’ve got my energy back, I look forward to sharing more of what we’ve been up to this wedding season. Here’s a little sneak peek from a beauty back in April.

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