About 365 days of marriage

I started this blog in April of 2011. At the time, Bret and I were wedding photographers and it was a way to share how marriage is more about the day to day and so much more than the wedding day itself. For about 5 years, I blogged about the joys and sorrows of the Christian walk, marriage, work, family and friends. I’ve blogged every day since a few weeks after I started. In May of 2015, we photographed our last wedding. Now, I have become passionate about simplicity, particularly in marriage, Christianity, business, travel and life. For a number of reasons, we have become minimalists. I’ve found that having simplicity makes life so much deeper, refreshing and joyful. I hope that this blog will help others see the benefits of living simply.

Day 1985 – Happy FOUR Year Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Bolster!!

Posted on December 17, 2014 by 365 days of marriage

Hope you guys have a wonderful day!!!

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Day 1984 – The Bouquet Tradition

Posted on December 16, 2014 by 365 days of marriage

Today I’m reminded of a wonderful little story from our lives. Eight years ago today, I caught the actual bouquet of my dear friends. (You can read the whole story here).

Today, Bret and I had to make a decision about something. We prayed about it. Bret mentioned he thought he got an answer, but wanted me to pray/listen for God’s answer before he told me…to see if we were in accord. (Spoiler, we were). I sit here just in awe of God and all He did in our lives to bring us together and how He has molded us into one flesh.

All because my friend couldn’t find her throw away bouquet…and you know, God having His hand in it. 🙂

Day 1983 – To Rent Or To Buy (Business Edition)

Posted on December 15, 2014 by 365 days of marriage

I think for any business, you will come across the “should I buy or rent this?” question. So here’s a few pros and cons. This is a “Jennilyn’s opinion for her business list” – your business is (and probably should be) different from mine.

Camera Equipment – rent. I REALLY wish I had done this sooner! My thought was, why rent when I can just buy? Then it’s mine. Well, the camera body that we love is about $2,700-$3,700 a pop. JUST the body folks. To rent TWO bodies for 3 days is about $250. It’s great to rent for a couple reasons. First, you get to play with the gear. It’s fun to try before you buy! Second, if you don’t have it in the budget to buy what you need now, you can still give your client a quality product by renting.

Office/studio space – rent or use other methods. Over the last few weeks, I’ve worked remotely a LOT…more than I EVER have. I have to say that Panera Bread is THE best place to work. There have been a few slow internet experiences….but to be fair, I was there at semi-peak times. One morning a week or two ago, I spent six hours in a Panera with no trouble. I did buy breakfast and lunch, so I don’t feel like I was taking advantage or anything. What I love about Panera is that they don’t kick you out. They don’t make you feel bad about staying for a while. (Budgeting/saving bonus tip: get a Panera Rewards card if you use them!) You can also meet clients here too….or a hotel lobby if you need something classier.

Computer/laptop/tablet/phone – buy. This is pretty much a given. I will say though, that there are a LOT of options for cloud work, it’s worth looking into.

Bonus – lessons learned: I will say, looking back over my ten years in business, I wish I hadn’t spent so much on things I really didn’t need. I think about backdrops that were cheap that I got from goodwill (I think that was actually a sheet….)….I think about props I bought…I think about samples (albums and prints)….so. much. unneeded. stuff. Think long and hard about ALL of your purchases. Know why you’re buying something for your business.

What about you? What have you learned about buying versus renting over the years?

This morning, my office is Chick-fil-a! 🙂

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Day 1982 – Happy ONE Year Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Monterosso!

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Day 1981 – What This Blog Taught Me About Marriage

Posted on December 13, 2014 by 365 days of marriage

The other day, I asked my Facebook friends for ideas for the blog. I had hit a wall when it came to ideas and had (if we’re completely honest here) lost all motivation to keep blogging. It really doesn’t take me long to write a post and keep up with posting. But as certain areas of my life have slowed down, I’m finding it harder to come up with interesting topics. As I was falling asleep last night, a thought hit me that gave me renewed desire to blog.

This is a blog about marriage…..and sometimes marriage is boring. Sometimes your marriage consists of routine and that’s it. Each day is the same as the one before. I think these are the times it’s hardest in a marriage….not when you’re fighting about things or you’re going through a stressful time….it’s when everything is the same and nothing changes. It’s harder to love someone when they do the same thing every day. That’s when it’s easiest to be resentful about your spouse…..exactly how I was feeling about my blog.

But these are the times in marriage where you HAVE to keep going. You HAVE to keep loving your boring old spouse. And see this as “hey, my spouse is consistent and faithful.” It also helps to remember the good times. The times when you weren’t in the boring time….for the blog, I’m remembering the times when people have commented about the impact of this blog. I think of people who appreciate the honesty and one particular post by Bret that changed someone’s life and marriage.

I AM grateful for the opportunity to share about our marriage (the struggles and the joys) through this blog. I’m just in awe of what God has done through the last 1337 days I’ve blogged…that’s 3.66 years! Holy smokes! Let me just say I could NOT have done that on my own strength! Thank you God for empowering me to do so!

And there’s my ramble for the day. 🙂