Monday Minute || Lynchburg, Wedding Photographer

Another gloomy Monday morning around here.  Another suuuuuper busy weekend, but oh my goodness so productive- and it ended with such a fun engagement session! But this weather today is making me just want to go back to sleep! 

Saturday & Sunday were spent working on the house again. Most of our energy was spent working outside- we refinished our deck, replaced all the railings, and painted everything. It looks SO different now that the old red is gone! Special thanks to our friends that watched Emmie all day on Saturday! It was so refreshing to get hours of work done without a single interruption! 

Sunday, I had the best time getting to know Craig & Carrie at their engagement session. I am SO excited for their wedding coming up at The Wintergreen Resort! We headed out to an amazing property in the mountains, called Dodd Cabin and pretty much laughed the entire time together! 

I can't wait to share more from this amazing engagement session!! Now, off to get more work done before I cave and end up taking a nap! Happy Monday! 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographerbased in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Farmville, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas. Currently booking a limited number of weddings and portrait sessions for 2017.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley is passionate about capturing moments as they authentically happen to ensure a successful session that gives you time to enjoy each other and savor the wedding day moments.  Contact me today for additional information! 

Weekend Update

Y'all, I am loving these off-season weekends! I think in the midst of crazy season, I forgot how 'normal' people do weekends. Being able to have slow mornings, drink coffee in bed, and eat breakfast together as a family before running errands, or getting on with our day is always such a treat for us! Don't get me wrong, I do absolutely love wedding season, but there's something so refreshing and rejuvenating about these slower weekends, even if they are filled up with house projects! We are working hard to finish up the last of the house projects and will hopefully be listing our house here shortly! 

While I do really, really hate the cold, I am fully embracing the slower days, where I am getting used to shorter office hours, and getting caught up on those extra projects I always mean to get done, but don't take priority. I absolutely love crossing these things off my to-do list! Let's be real, I love crossing anything of my to-do list! ;) 

Some iPhone photos to overview the weekend: 

Emerson loved celebrating St. Patricks Day (mostly at school, cuz even with the best of intentions, I don't do these fun and extra things very well).  She picked out her own outfit and rocked her feathered head band. 

As always, follow along our crazy journey through Instagram Stories! 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Farmville, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas. Currently booking a limited number of weddings and portrait sessions for 2017.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley is Mom to 5 year old, Emerson and is passionate about balancing Motherhood and your chasing your dreams and providing for your family.   Contact me today for additional information! 

Motherhood Moments: The little things are what matters

Today's post is something that I really struggle with, and the more Moms I talk to, the more I find out that I'm not alone. It seems in this day and age where we are bombarded with everyone's 'best of' moments through social media, I feel the constant need to be THE best Mom ever.  You know, to constantly be doing fun things, making everything a teaching moment, and for her to always be having fun.  Let's be real here- this isn't possible. If we were sitting and chatting over some wine and you were telling me you were struggling with these things, I would tell you the very same thing. You're going to make yourself crazy.  

We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, and this is especially true in Motherhood. I have a friend that looooooves baking, and almost every day makes something healthy and fun with her kids.  I see her doing that and instantly feel guilty... do slice and bake cookies count as a baking project with her, cuz that's about the extent of baking I'm capable of... and even then, there's a good chance they're going to be burnt.  I have another friend that is so good at getting down on the floor and playing with her kids. She sits there and plays doctor, or barbies with her kids. I've tried doing this too, (yall, it's so boring!!!). I'm no good at it!!  Basically, I want to be able to take Em on family trips and bake, and play, and do all the fun things, all the time, every single day. 

Being a working Mom (yes, especially Moms that are  working at home!!) means that I have to prioritize my time, that I can't always be there, available and ready to play and do the most amazing things all the time.  I start to feel so guilty because I'm not giving her my undivided attention some days.

Can we be honest here for a second- kids don't need our complete attention all the time. They need to learn how to play on their own, use their imaginations, and not rely on us so much all the time. I need to be okay with not always being in "Mom mode."  

I was talking this out with someone the other day and she made such a great point.  There are some seasons where we will spend so much time together- in the summer, we will go to the pool multiple times a week, we will get ice cream, and go on adventures, and that is all so great and so fun. But there are also seasons where I need to get work done, and that's okay too. As long as I'm being purposeful about spending some quality time with my family, that's okay.  All Emmie needs is a little one-on-one time with me for it to make her day. I don't need to have this 'all or nothing' mentality.  If I can spend 15-20 minutes creating with play dough with her, that little block of time is the quality time that she needs for the day. But, those 15 minutes need to be completely focused on her. Put the phone away, turn off the email notifications, and sit and talk and play with her. It's the little moments, where we can be fully present that are going to make the biggest difference.  

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Farmville, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas. Currently booking a limited number of weddings and portrait sessions for 2017.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley is Mom to 5 year old, Emerson and is passionate about balancing Motherhood and your chasing your dreams and providing for your family.   Contact me today for additional information! 

Travels || Catching up and Enjoying HOME!

Typically, January & February in Virginia are my slowest months, but this year has been a totally different story! The month started with traveling home from Christmas break in Virginia Beach to flying to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for Jason & Lindsay's wedding. It sure was cold, but their wedding was so much fun, and I got to visit with family that live out in New Mexcio!  

While we were out there, we visited the domes, which have different natural environments set up, so we got to see the dessert and the rain forest while we were out there! So much fun, plus it was so nice and warm in there! My heart was so happy! ;) 

Then came a trip to Fort Walton Beach, Florida for Charlie's 1st birthday and Rachel's promotion. This was such an honor- I first met Dave & Rachel at their engagement session a few years ago, and since then, I've photographed their wedding, pregnancy, and family photos. But even better, formed an amazing friendship with them both. Spending a few days celebrating with them was so special! And, anytime I get to spend at the beach, even if it's chilly, is so refreshing and encouraging for me!

So, I'm home now, so thrilled to be with my family, even though I was welcomed home to take care of two with the flu, and then I caught a bug myself. If that isn't a reason for Spring to hurry up, I don't know what is! 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographerbased in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Farmville, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas. Currently booking a limited number of weddings and portrait sessions for 2017.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley is passionate about capturing moments as they authentically happen to ensure a successful session that gives you time to enjoy each other and savor the wedding day moments.  Contact me today for additional information! 

Office Hours || Why having set office hours are so important for small businesses

What is it about owning your own business that makes us think we should work ALL the time? Always be on call-- someone has a question, and feel guilty about sitting down at the end of the night to catch up on the last This is Us, etc. Maybe it's just me, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one that feels so guilty for unplugging and not living and breathing my business.  

What ends up happening, is I am constantly in 'work brain' and feel that constant pulling of my to-do list back to my desk. But then I feel guilty for missing out of spending down-time with Emerson & Michael. The laundry and housework starts building up, which also takes space in my brain, I have the hardest time being productive in a messy environment, and I'm not able to give anything in my life the full attention that it needs.  

We should, in no way, ever feel guilty about our work hours having a beginning and ending time.  In order to do something really well, we have to be able to get other things done as well.  Trust me, I've tried doing this 'work until all the list is crossed off' thing, and let me tell you, there is ALWAYS more to be added to that list.  (Now, there will be busier seasons, where your office hours may be extended, and that's okay- but that should not be you're entire life!) 

I didn't come to this conclusion the easy way. Let me tell you, I never come to conclusions the easy way. It seems I always have to learn the hard way.  ;) But, I'm tired of being burnt out, anxious, and stressed because I don't have enough time. One of my main desires is to do less and be more present and intentional with my time and my family, and working ALL the time is not the way to accomplish that.  

I've started having set and hard boundaries with my business- which will look different for different seasons- but I will only be working on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am until 12pm, when Emerson is at school.  With her switching schools, she is going from 5 full days to 3 half days, and I am going to be using her school time as my work time, and her home time, and the time we can do things together, read about fairies, make dinner together, and even fold that pile of laundry that has been sitting in the clean basket for way too long.  At this season in my business, I am expecting to actually be more productive by limited my working hours so I can truly focus on one thing at a time.  I am still able to answer emails, edit, and blog without being a slave to my to-do list.  My clients are given my cell phone number, so if it's urgent, they know how to get ahold of me.  

One of the key benefits to owning my own business is that I get to set up my work hours- I am not having to answer to someone else who wants me in front of my computer for the sake of my salary.  I'm saying goodbye to the guilt of that and knowing that I will be blessed by putting my family first- even though I do love this job so much- my family comes first.  If you struggle with this as well, I hope this helps put some perspective on things and you're able to unplug and enjoy your family as well. 

---

Ashley Eiban is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Virginia. Serving Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas. Currently booking a limited number of weddings and portrait sessions for 2017.  Available for travel world-wide.  

Ashley is a firm believer in chasing your dreams and doing what you love! Ashley is passionate about capturing moments as they authentically happen to ensure a successful session that gives you time to enjoy each other and savor the wedding day moments.  Contact me today for additional information!