So far in my Honest To Blog series I've delved into the world of personal obstacles, blogging blunders, and maybe a semi-rant or two, but they've all had a sort of "Debbie Downer" feeling about them. Maybe it's because I use this series as a platform to talk about the things most of us don't want to bring up in every day life... It's so easy to talk about how the world is so magical and filled with rainbows and positivity. (Believe me, I totally like living in that world, too, but you've gotta balance it with reality or you're sure to float clear off into outer space.) Anyway, I had an HTB topic all ready to go, but then I realized I didn't want to spend this Sunday looking for reassurance from others. Instead, I wanted to write about something happy... something that fills my days with absolute sunshine.
That, my sweet Honeybees, is my wonderful fiance, Mike. I had thought of writing this for our anniversary next month, but I didn't want to use a special day as the excuse to write something nice about him. Any ol day is the perfect day to tell someone you love that your life wouldn't be the same without them!
Our story probably isn't too different from most, but we do have a fairly interesting work situation when it comes to how we operate together. Both Mike and I aspire to be 100% self-employed. We take great pride in our crafts and skills, and we hope to fully support ourselves through our creative work. He's a professional lifestyle photographer and he's a giant hand in our Honeybean Dream. But did you know that he's also an absolute vital part of Little Chief Honeybee? Yeah, you know he takes my outfit photos and whatnot... I know many non-style bloggers typically side-eye at the "dude" in the relationship playing photog for their ladies while prancing around in dresses and whatnot but he takes them because he truly enjoys it. That's not to say we don't have the occasional disagreement about location or composition or lighting, but we're a team. His influence doesn't stop there, though. He regularly crafts and photographs my DIY posts when I'm busy with other work. He helps me dream up post ideas, refine them and make them better. He's been a wonderful help with my e-book, shooting and listing pieces for Kaelah's Closet, and oh my stars, my Etsy! I managed to teach Mike how to make many of the items I sold in my Etsy and he'd sit for hours, crafting away with me. We'd watch NCIS or chit chat while we worked. Whenever I made a sale he'd go check inventory, pull it out and package it all up for me. He'd even take it to the post office. It's kind of like having the world's best assistant. Please don't think I take advantage of his willingness to help me though! He always assures me that he's just as personally invested in the Kaelah Bee-ness as I am.
He may not get the recognition for it that I do, but absolutely none of this would be possible without his unwavering support and help. It's kind of wonderful knowing I'm never in this alone.
I always try to return the favor when I can. I've regularly assisted him on photoshoots... Holding the reflector here or there, carting his umbrellas or softboxes. At the end of the day all that matters to us is that we're doing what we love, and we're lucky enough to get to do it together. We want to rely on no one but ourselves when it comes to finances. We have to believe our work is good enough to pay our bills. It can be hard, but having a constant source of reassurance is priceless.
We had a talk last night before heading to work, about where we wanted to see ourselves and what exactly we wanted to be doing. There were no "exacts" such as physical locations, but our conversation was one of the most inspiring things we've ever shared. We've had these dreams for so long, and now it's time to see those big dreams into even bigger realities. We're going to be each other's support system along the way. We're going to face obstacles, we're going to disagree, and we're going to question ourselves at some point or another... the important thing is that we just keep moving forward. Everything we do in life is a partnership... so he's just that... my professional/work and life partner. Always.
So this is a big THANK YOU to Mike... for always being my #1 fan.
Oh, did I mention we have a wedding date finally?! And I've picked out my dress! It's a good day, folks!
Now go hug someone special in your life. If you're not close in distance then call them up and tell them they're one of a kind. Tell them exactly why they make your life better. This can be a relative, best friend, your favorite blogger or even the barista that makes your coffee each morning. There are plenty of people out there that make our lives easier and/or better, and we don't need to wait for an excuse to come around to say so!
Who helps motivate you to be a better person? To succeed? Who do you want to share appreciation for?
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Honest To Blog is a weekly free-writing feature here on LCH where I share thoughts, frustrations, and simply things I haven't blogged elsewhere. Sometimes it's happy, sometimes it's a little more bittersweet. The important part of the feature is simply that it's honest. My opinion may not be the most popular every now and again, but it's mine. Feel free to shares yours, too! You can read the rest of this series by clicking here!
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