A toast to the Roaring 20s (and a Christmas recap)

     Can you believe we're in the beginning of a new decade? It's one of those things when you're like, "Is it really 2020 already?" When you were born in the 1980's, like myself, going in to the 20's is one of those things that make you feel all kinds of old, lol. Not saying I'm "old" per se, but I will be turning 40 in this decade. Time to insert the bulgy eyed emoji and crying emoji, lol. It'll be late, late 20's, thankfully.

     Anyways, I'm sure everyone is talking about the 20's and what the next decade holds, but I'm over here reminiscing about what happened 10 years ago and where I was in life. Then I go back even further to happy times that make me sad. Too many good memories that leave me feeling sad and depressed about what once was. I'm not going to go there, though, I'm here to give a small Christmas recap with some of the very few pictures that I took.

     I wasn't blogging this time last year, so I didn't get to share any of the drama that took place. I'm not going into details, but there was a certain someone that basically ruined Christmas last year for everyone involved, so the fact that this year was uneventful was a blessing. I did have a horrible anxiety attack before bed on Christmas Eve that carried over into the next day, which sucked. At least it wasn't family drama and thankfully my anxiety eased up in the late evening on Christmas.

     Well I guess I'm going to share some pics now and stop blabbing. LaVaughn and I have been in Perryville all day visiting my moms, Jeff and Jake, so I'm tired and ready to watch some TV. I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas and New Years!

-Megan

Treating anxiety with Lazarus Naturals...

     If you've ever read any of my previous posts, I'm sure you've seen me write about anxiety a time or two. It's something I've suffered from for the better part of 10 years now. Right after my grandma passed away is when it all started. I panicked about things that might seem silly to people that don't have anxiety, but to me they were the worst. My anxiety was severe for about a year after my gran passed, but then I learned some coping mechanisms (or the grace of God) that helped me better manage it.

     I've done fairly well since then, but it's a constant and daily battle still to this day. Here recently I've struggled a bit more than usual due to some things going on in my life. It's nothing horrible or anything, but thanks to my anxiety, some days it seems like the worst thing in the world. I try to explain why I feel the way I feel to people, but there's just no easy way to do so. I've tried going into great detail, but when you say these things and your feelings out loud, it just sounds silly. Heck, I even sound mental to myself when I step back and think about it, but my anxiety keeps me from processing things like a normal, anxiety-free person.

     I've tried herbal teas, like peppermint and kava, taken supplements, like magnesium and L-theanine, but that feeling that you get in the center of your chest still likes to rear its ugly head. And even if you're having a good day, the thought of something that's taking place days or even weeks from then will still put you in panic mode. Now I'm not saying these teas and supplements haven't helped at all, because I do believe I have been able to benefit from them, but they've ever fully taken my anxiety away.

     My sister tells me I need to see a doctor, which I know I probably should, but being put on lifelong meds is just something I'm not comfortable with. They change the chemistry of your brain and keep you in a fog. Even if they're mild, they can still mess with you in different ways. I've have friends that take anti-anxiety meds, some say they work for them, others say they turn them into zombies. I'm not a fan of any type of medicine or even going to the doctor, so the thought of going alone stresses me out.

     I'm all for finding naturals ways to deal with medical issues. Maybe it's due to my Native American ancestors or maybe it's because I'm scared of taking something that's been produced by a chemist. Whichever it may be, I've finally decided to take the plunge and purchase my first CBD product.

     I've read about CBD oils for some time now and have read countless amounts of mixed reviews. Some say they're a godsend, others chalk them up to being just like an essential oil. I know there's scientific evidence behind the fact that cannabis has endless amounts of healing properties, so it's completely worth a shot, right? I've been reading up on different brands, which is the purest and which is the most effective for anxiety. That's when I stumbled across Lazarus Naturals. I've read dozens, if not hundreds of reviews and don't think I found any negative ones. I mean, there were a couple people on Reddit that didn't have a good experience, but the comments were nothing but good.

     I made my purchase late last week, so I should receive my High Potency Full Spectrum Tincture within a day or two. I can only hope and pray to God that this works as well for me as it has for so many other people. People have nothing but good things to say about Lazarus Naturals. From their high standards, amazing prices and assistance programs, they're one of the best CBD companies out there. I only hope I'm able to share an equally amazing experience with you all soon. And believe me, I will update ASAP.

-Megan

High Potency Full Spectrum CBD Tincture

Sample Photography...

     Like I said in my previous post, I've done quite a bit more photoshoots this year and even got paid for a few of them. That's a big thing for me, considering I'm the type of person that feels horrible charging anyone for anything. I know that's no way to run a business, but most of the people I do shoots for are friends or friends of friends. Anyways, I'm gonna share some of my shoots from the past couple years. Don't be overwhelmed, there really aren't that many, lol.

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     First up is Shawna's niece, Layla. I've worked with Shawna for going on 4 years, so it was a pleasure to take her niece's photos. Definitely makes things a lot more comfortable when you know the person really well. We did them locally at a place called Lon Sanders Canyon in Piedmont, MO back in April of 2018. Here are a couple of my faves:

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     Next up is my cousin. Trina's, wedding in June of 2018. This is a touchy subject for me, because I took these right around the time Milla started to get sick, so that's what they remind me of. I would also like to add that I wasn't my cousins wedding photographer, I just happened to be there and take some photos. These were taken at the Elk's Lodge in Ironton, MO. Here are a few of my faves:

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     I didn't do anymore shoots in 2018 -- I'm also realizing I didn't do ANY in 2017 -- so the rest of these shoots are from this past year. This next session was from February of 2019 and technically my first paid shoot of the year, even though I didn't get paid for several months, but that's an entirely different can of worms. This happens to be my first engagement session and one of my absolute favorite shoots of all time. This was for Destiny and her fiance, Danny. I used to work with Destiny way back. Here are some of my faves:

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     Next up are Marissa's senior pics. I worked with her for close to a year, so she and I became very close, making this photoshoot a walk in the park. Like the ones above, these are some of my favorite pics that I've taken. I believe these were from March of 2019 and taken all over Des Arc, Annapolis and Vulcan, MO. Here are some of my faves:

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     Next up is another kids senior pics, Hunter. His family wasn't exactly involved, so I was more than happy to do his senior pics just a couple weeks after Marissa's. I didn't know the kid well and since she did, she and his girlfriend (Marissa's niece) tagged along. His photos were taken around Vulcan & Annapolis, MO. Here are some of my faves:

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     Next up was my first big paying gig, Destiny and Danny's wedding. Let me tell ya, I was a nervous wreck! Thankfully, Shawna was my plus one to this affair, which made the thing a whole lot easier and less awkward. It was a stifling 88+ degree May afternoon, so you can only imagine the amount of sweat in and around the venue. And of course, she had the wedding at 4pm, in the heat of the day with the sun blaring down on everyone. It was a different experience and definitely one that I'm glad I was a part of, but definitely not something I'm prepared for. I need far better equipment, mainly lenses for weddings, even though I was lucky enough to buy a 35mm which I'm in LOVE with! All in all it was a successful 7+ hour day. The wedding was held at Markham Springs in Ellsinore, MO. Here are some of my faves:

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     Next up are Christopher's pictures. These are the first pics that I took solely with my 35mm lens and I honestly couldn't be more thrilled! I was worried the bokeh wouldn't be as good as with the 50mm, but these are some of my favorite pics I've ever taken. Christopher is the son of another girl I worked with for a little while. It's taken us 2 years to actually get together to get them done! These were taken at the end of September in Dec Arc, MO.