Christmas Crisis

I was very proud of myself for getting all my shopping done well before Christmas, until... Okay, I ordered some things from a friend at work 3 weeks before Christmas so I would be sure to have them in plenty of time.  Then, on Tuesday of this week, my friend tells me the order didn't go through and it was being canceled.  Huh?  A week before Christmas... seriously?  My first reaction was WTH???  Then I said, "Take a deep breath... calm down... ok.  Now lets make a plan."  Well, at least I still have a week left to get the other, actually, the 1st half of my Christmas shopping done.  So, my wonderful hubby and I will venture out on Saturday morning to complete this very crucial mission.  It must get done on Sat. because we will be busy the rest of the weekend getting the house cleaned for family coming next week, plus we have my niece's b-day party on Sunday.  

On a photography note, I have some exciting news.  My daughter's boyfriend's mother, (confused yet? LOL), saw my photography on Facebook, loves my pictures, and wants me to do a photo shoot of her and her 2 sons!  Yay!!  It will be my first photography gig.  =)  I hope she doesn't mind waiting until January when I get my Nikon so I can get really good pics.  We are friends so I doubt she will mind.  I'm so excited!!!!!!!  I have a feeling that 2011 is going to be an explosive year for us.  I just cannot wait.  Someday I will be able to say "Goodbye" to Corporate America for good and "Hello" to my own business and financial freedom.  In many ways I feel like my life is just beginning.  

Thanks for reading "All About My Business,"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography

So Sorry....

Let me being this post with an apology... I'm so sorry for neglecting my blog over the last several days.  The past weekend was crazy nuts.  We had overnight guests all weekend, cooking and baking going on and Scarlett's Mary Kay debut party.  It was exhausting and wonderfully fun!  =)  I love having a full house.

Scarlett was beautiful and charming as ever.  She was presented with the ceremonial MK pink rose and pin.  She was also presented with her first earned prizes: a beautiful pink stone ring and pearl necklace, earrings, and bracelet.  She looked absolutely stunning.  Wow!  I'm so proud of her for getting off to a successful start in building her new business.  She is already doing better than me... LOL. 

Scarlett is my beautiful Mary Kay Girl!  The best thing is that she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  I've added this picture and another one titled "Snow Barn" to my Flickr page.... there is more to come so stick around.

Thank you for reading "All About My Business,"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography

My Family....

I'm feeling very blessed tonight to have such a wonderful and supporting family.  Thank you Scott, Scarlett, Cameron, and Mom... I don't know what I would do without you guys.  You give me wings to fly.  I finally feel like I can do anything in this world.  It's a feeling most feel just out of high school, or college, but it's a new feeling to me.  And it is the best feeling in the world.  I wish everyone in the world could have this much love and support.  Always reach out to everyone you meet with encouragement, love, and support.  You never know what is going on in their lives and you might just be the only one to ever speak a kind word to them.  

I just found out today that First Baptist Church in McKinney is having their Christmas Journey this week: Dec. 9th - 11th.  I am so excited to take my family there!  It is a wonderful, well put together, journey of the life of Jesus our Lord.  It will most likely be cold, but they always have lots of yummy hot cocoa!  =)  Hope everyone can make it!

Thank you for reading, "All About My Business,"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography

Drama in the house...

Oh goodness, you would not believe the drama that has plagued this household tonight.  I come home, more tired than I've ever been, and get hit with 2 teen girls that are being attacked by people who are supposed to be their friends and/or loved ones.  Geez... why do people feel the need to be so negative or tear someone down just because they may not agree with whatever is going on at the time???  I'm glad I prayed, earlier at work, that God would make me calm today.  Let's just say that I'm glad it is all behind us now, (at least for tonight), and I'm going to bed early.  I hope you all had a better night than we did... good night.

Thank you for reading "All About My Business,"
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography 

I couldn't resist.  It just seemed to fit tonight.... LOL

Busy, Busy, Busy

Oh my goodness!!  I need to get some work done on the Christmas cards, but can't seem to.  I uploaded a 30 day trial for Photoshop CS5 a few days ago, and have not had a chance to try it yet.  Everyday it seems that, as soon as I come home from work, I have to go right out again.  I end up getting home around 8:30 or 9:00pm, eat, shower, and bed.  We still have not decorated the 2nd Christmas tree, or the one outside.  However, we did have a blast unpacking the rest of the Christmas decorations, (and some dishes we had in storage for over a year).  

Scarlett is working hard on the house for her Mary Kay Debut this Sunday, and I've been helping her get ready for that as well.  We've invited lots of people, so I hope she has a good turn out.  My wonderful husband is working on putting the new lights on the house tonight... so I guess it will all come together by the end of the week, (I hope).  Meanwhile, I will need to carve out a firm time for me to work on the Christmas cards.  I want to be able to get them all printed out this weekend and mail them off next Monday.  Still having fun....  

Thanks for reading "All About My Business," 
Crystal Campbell 
Crystal Campbell Photography 

Finally Done...

The shopping is officially done.  Scarlett and I went out again last night after dinner, (we got our 2nd wind after eating the awesome chicken at Babes).  We finally got home and dropped into bed at 1:00am!  It was no wonder I slept until Noon today...lol.  We hit the road again about 2:00pm today and just returned.  Everyone now has a Christmas gift... yay!  We will be working on the 2nd tree and inside decorating all this week.  It's going to be a wonderful Christmas.  Scarlett and I have the best husbands... they stayed home with the babies all weekend while we were shopping.  Thank you Scott and Cameron!!   =)  I'm exhausted and going to bed.  

Thanks for reading "All About My Business," 
Crystal Campbell 
Crystal Campbell Photography

Great Shopping Day! =)

The shopping day is done, (for now).  We left the house at 8:00am and came back at 5:00pm.  Scarlett, mom, and I had such a wonderful time, and boy are we tired!  Now it's time to introduce my parents to Babe's Chicken in Roanoke.  It is the best ever!!  It's home cookin' served family style and so yummy!  They also have locations in Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Cedar Hill, and Burleson, TX.  The menus vary a little at each location, but all are wonderful!!!  If you have never eaten at a Babe's then put it on your "must try" list.  

Well, I didn't get all my Christmas shopping done today; however, I did pretty much stay on budget.  So, one goal was accomplished.  =)  Scarlett and I will finish up the shopping tomorrow.  Hope y'all are having a Happy Saturday too!!!  

Thanks for reading "All About My Business,"  
Crystal Campbell 
Crystal Campbell Photography

The Night Before Christmas... Shopping! =)

There is lots of excitement going on in our home tonight... we are finally decorating the trees tonight, (we have 2 this year)!  I'm also getting ready for tomorrow's shopping excursion.  I'm so excited!  My mom is going with us, so we have to leave really early to pick her up.  My mother is so much fun to shop with, (mainly because she's just crazy... LOL).  I have so much shopping to do in just one day.  I need to be back home by 3:00pm, so that we can get ready for the Lighted Boat Parade on Lake Grapevine tomorrow evening.  Wow... what a packed day we have tomorrow.  I love it!  =)  Hope I can get in bed early tonight, so I will have plenty of shopping energy tomorrow.  I hope you all have a wonderful and safe weekend.  Leave a comment and tell me what you have planned for the weekend. 

Oh yeah, and I looked up some photography workshops today that look really great.  I can't wait to get my Nikon in January, so I can sign up for some of them.  I want to learn all I can about photography and my Nikon D5000.  I want to be a great photographer some day.   

Thank you for reading "All About My Business,"  
Crystal Campbell  
Crystal Campbell Photography

Working Hard on No Sleep

I found that I have not gone to bed before midnight at all this week, and still have to get up at 5:00am to go to work.  It seems there is so much to do and so little time to do it in.  I am definitely going to bed early tonight.  Everyone else is off doing their own thing, so it shouldn't be too hard.  Still hoping to get the Christmas tree up tonight... it has never taken me so long to do Christmas decorations before.  I usually have them up the day after Thanksgiving.  Of course, I was also usually living in a small apartment and not a 3 bedroom house... LOL.  I think it's just all so overwhelming, but I love it anyway.  

This weekend is going to be all about Christmas shopping! Woo Hoo!!  My goal is to get it all done in one weekend and stay on budget.... will be interesting to see.  I also need to get the Christmas cards finalized this weekend, so we can start mailing them out next week.  All in all, I love my life.  I am very blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive family.  Although I'm pulled in 50 different directions everyday, it's nice to be needed.  =)  

I hope you all feel loved and needed everyday as well.  Have a great night!  

Thanks for reading "All About My Business,"  
Crystal Campbell 
Crystal Campbell Photography

We are very busy this week getting into the Christmas Spirit.  I hope we can put our tree up tonight or tomorrow.  The guys have been so busy with the house lights that we never got our tree put up after Thanksgiving.  I took some pictures of our Thanksgiving table and will be posting them to Flickr shortly. 

I will also be working on Christmas cards this week using photos I took last year when it snowed here.  Yes, it snowed in Texas... not once, but twice!  The pictures will most likely need some heavy editing as they were taken with my hand-held digital camera that is almost 10 years old.  I'm very excited about making the Christmas cards as it has been a long time since I have made anything like that.  I very much enjoy creating every kind of greeting card, invitations, announcements, wedding invitations... etc.  

I had my own greeting card business in my early 20's, but had to give it up for lack of artwork.  I have many talents, but drawing is not one of them... LOL.  I had a friend at work that gave me a couple of pieces of her artwork, (I tried to buy them from her, but she refused and told me I could use them any way that I wished), then when she saw how many I sold, (and how much money I made), she decided that I needed to make a fuss about how she was the artist and should get more credit.  Long story short, I gave her artwork back and that was the end of my greeting card business.   Now I can use my photography to make anything I want without having to worry about dealing with temper-mental artists.  

I have to say that, for the most part, I am happiest when I am busy.  And there is no busier time than the holidays.  =)  I can't wait to get out for some Christmas shopping and more decorating this weekend.  We are hosting my family on Christmas Eve, in our new home, so I want everything to look nice.  I want it to look like we spent  thousands, while actually spending very little.  That is my challenge.  I figure there will be lots of sales due to the economy, so it shouldn't be too hard.  

Watch for more photos coming soon!  =)

Thank you for reading All About My Business,
Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography


This was just too cute:
 

New to this whole thing....

Wow... I can't believe I got through this process.  I've never had a blog or a business before.  My main focus for this blog is to document my journey through building my photography business.  My goal is to capture nature and people, in an image, as I see them through my own eyes. I want my photography to bring awareness of the world around us in a "stop and smell the roses" kind of way.  My long term goal is to someday have a photo art gallery.

I recently completed my first official photo shoot with my daughter, Cheyenne, and a long time family friend, Scarlett, (I call her my adopted daughter).  They taught me how much fun photographing people can be as well.  I'm very nervous about taking pictures for people and their events, so I figure I will get my feet wet taking pictures for friends and family first.  However, my main focus will be photo art.  I am currently working on a website that will include a store where my framed photo art will be for sale.  I will post the website on here as soon as it is ready.  For now, you can browse some of my work on my Flickr page.  A link to my Flickr page is conveniently located on the right side of this blog. 

In January I'm hoping to get my dream camera, (Nikon D5000), which will allow me to take even more amazing pictures.  I tried it out at the store and absolutely fell in love with it.  I'm so excited about beginning this new chapter in my life and can hardly wait to share my photos with the world!  

Crystal Campbell
Crystal Campbell Photography