bloglife Archives - Page 7 of 11

Announcing A Fresh Look for Crazybananas

January 23, 2015/0 Comments/in bloglife, Crazybananas Photography, Photography - Maternity + Babies /by Megan

Hi friends! I have some amazing news to share! If you’ve been hanging around the Crazybananas universe for a while, you may have noticed some upgrades around here lately. I am super-excited to formally announce the redesign of this website! Hooray! It’s alive! It’s alive!

This redesign has been in the works for about a year, but I got a swift kick in the butt late in 2014 when I received feedback from all of my incredible readers. It turns out more than 90% of my readers where viewing Crazybananas on a mobile device…and I didn’t have a working mobile platform for the site! I felt like such a weenie. Here I’d been creating amazing layouts and fun graphics…and no one was seeing them! Argh! This is a lesson for all you bloggers out there. Know your readers! Talk to them, ask for feedback and listen.

My biggest goal for this month was to develop a site that was mobile-friendly, and I’m happy to say, I think I did it! The site is now dynamic and quite pretty on both desktop and mobile platforms. Hopefully this will make the reading experience more fun and pleasant for everyone out there.

Another huge push was to develop the photography section of Crazybananas. You all know I’ve been pursuing the photography side of my business for quite some time, but if you were a newcomer to the blog (or even a daily reader) it was super difficult to find my photography work. So I decided to create a totally separate part of this website that will cater to my photography clients. You can get there by clicking on the menu item labeled “Crazybananas Photography.” From there you can view my portfolio, contact me about booking a shoot, and read blog posts specific to my photography business. This was a labor of love for me, and I can’t tell you what a rush it was to go through all the images I’ve taken in the last five years to put this whole thing together. It’s an incredible feeling to look at your body of work and realize, “Crap, I’m a photographer!” I have spent so much wasted time comparing myself to others and undervaluing my own work, it was wonderful to look at this stack of images and feel not only pride, but a heart full of gratitude. Thank you to those of you who have trusted me to capture your lives in photographs, even in those days when I didn’t know what I was doing. You helped me grow and learn, and I know that I have to you thank for where I am today. I want to give you all big hugs (and we know I’m not really a hugger, so this is a big deal!).

As part of this celebration, I wanted to remind you that until the end of January, I’m running a special for $50 off any newborn or maternity shoot that is booked by the end of the month. Keep in mind, the shoot doesn’t have to be scheduled by the end of January, it can take place anytime before September 1st, 2015. You can read more about it here, and see my Babies + Maternity portfolio by clicking here.

Thank you again for your support and love! I am overwhelmed, grateful and honestly, feeling a little bit giddy about all of this good stuff right now.

Merry, Bright

December 18, 2014/2 Comments/in bloglife, Blond, Lucy, Tate, Teddy, Trent, Work /by Megan

Oh hey there! It’s just me, lounging in front of my Christmas tree, taking selfies in my new sweater that I’ve literally worn, like five out of the last seven days. In my defense, I am officially a real, live blogger now and it’s a super cute sweater, so I couldn’t really help myself. I think it’s in the blogger code that you MUST take selfies in front of twinkle lights in cute new sweaters or they will expel you from the union.

In other news, you’re probably wondering why I’m just now saying I’m a real, live blogger since I’ve been doing this for over 10 years. Well, long story short, this is my job now. My entire job, not my part time job or my fun side project…it’s the real deal! Earlier this week Crazybananas, LLC became an actual company with a tax ID and everything! On January 1st, 2015, this blog, my photography and my freelance writing will be my profession. Try explaining that one! Seriously, try. And if you figure out how to do it without sounding like a derpy dope, let me know. So far most of my conversations have gone like this:

Me: I created a company this week! Ahhhh! I’m so excited/terrified!

Kind, Inquiring Person: Oh, cool! So what is this company? What do you do?

Me: Um, well, a lot of things actually. I’m a writer, I freelance write and I also photograph people sometimes and I design stuff. Oh and consulting! Companies come to me to learn about how to work with bloggers. And stuff. It’s pretty varied actually…

Kind, Inquring Person: *blink blink blink*

I feel like something extremely big and important is happening in my professional like, one of those “two paths diverged in a wood” moments, but I’m realizing you never understand those moments until you’re looking back on them. While you’re actually living them, all you can do is keep swimming and try to keep your head above water. So for now, I’m going to do my best to put one foot in front of the other, breathe, and do the best I can.

Thank you so much, so, so much, for all of the love, support, comments, shares and insights. I know I wouldn’t have kept blogging without readers to connect with, so you are the ones I’m grateful for today.

Of course, I’m also extremely thankful for my family who has supported me as I worked my way through this decision. It hasn’t been easy, but here we are, and I know they are behind me. Our life is far from perfect, but I really believe as long as we keep trying, it will keep getting better. So for the rest of December, I’m signing off. There are two little people who need me to take them ice skating, a giant puppy who needs to hop through the snow like a bunny, and a husband to snuggle up to. Leading up to this big change, I’ve been working on overload, and they’ve born the brunt of my crazy. I know that doing this thing will require a whole new type of work ethic, and while I’m excited and ready, I want to make sure I start with my family’s tank full to the brim. I also need my tank to be filled, and part of the reason I’ve worked toward this change for so long, is because I believe it’s the best way to do this. The family/work balance will forever be a tightrope walk for me, but I think this is one step closer to getting my feet firmly planted.

I hope you all have an amazing holiday! I challenge you to list out 10 things you are grateful for every night before you drift off to sleep. This simple practice has changed my life in every possible way. I have found when I’m looking for the good things in my life, no matter how small, the bad things have less oomph. They just don’t pack the punch they used to. So for today, I’m thankful for:

1. Tate’s successful birthday party
2. Little boys in superhero costumes in a pink, princess castle, bounce house (see #1)
3. Lucy getting through her first semester of third grade with no big problems or issues
4. Teachers who love and care for my kids
5. Other parents who love and care for my kids
6. The ability to help out others when they need it
7. My friend Mara who is currently loaning me the latest season of Doctor Who, which I’m watching while writing this (multi-tasking!)
8. The big, dumb dog snoozing at my feet
9. My husband’s distinguished, ginger beard
10. My fully completed holiday shopping, and the fact that I don’t have to go to the Mall until December 26th (thank freaking god!)

See you in a few weeks, friends! It’s gonna be a fun ride!

Fake It Until You Make It

December 15, 2014/0 Comments/in bloglife, Family, Photos, Writing /by Megan

This weekend I was lucky enough to be able to attend my niece’s annual holiday dance show. An hour or so before, my sister texted me to ask if I could take some photos during the performance. Now, a normal person would say, “Sure!” then move on with their lives. I (not a normal person, obviously) commenced total freak out mode.

You see, even with my years working as a photographer, I still don’t really believe I’m the real deal. I have this dumb little voice in my head that tells me I’m not good enough and that no one in their right mind would ever believe I’m actually good at this gig. Unfortunately, these self-sabotaging thoughts don’t only appear during photography projects, but in every aspect of my life. Rarely do I have any clue what I’m doing, whether I’m parenting, writing, taking photos, baking cookies or designing. Every now and then a subject or task comes up that I feel super-confident about taking on, but for the most part, I’m just trying new things and waiting for one of them to stick.

But that’s part of why things DO stick now and then, at least in my creative life. I’m learning the only way I’m ever going to get any better is to keep trying, even (or maybe especially) when I’m uncomfortable. That’s the only way to grow and learn. In the last month, I’ve been doing a lot of things that are uncomfortable for me, a lot that makes me feel like an actor playing a part.

Enter stage left, a “writer.”

The more people I meet, especially successful ones, the more I’m finding out no one really knows what they are doing. Sure, people have experience, and that makes certain types of work a bit easier for them than others, but in the end, we are all just weirdos wandering around trying to figure it all out. I’ve sat in meetings with CEOs who come off as cool, smart and quick, only to find out later they were faking it just as much as I was. The biggest difference? They didn’t let their fear stop them.

A big change for me in the past year is moving forward through the scary stuff. This means when you’re asked to take photos inside a dark auditorium of dancers whirling quickly around the stage, you say yes. You don’t obsess over your camera being too low quality or your lens not being right or your meager knowledge of stage shooting. Instead you walk in with your head held high, faking all the confidence you can muster. You let go of the pressure, and remember all you can do is your best. You do a few internet searches on tips for stage shooting. And then you take a deep breath, and do your work.

Did the photos turn out perfectly? Nope. There are lots of things technically wrong with them. And sure, someone else with more experience probably could have done a better job. But that’s no the point. The point is if I would’ve said no or let the fear overwhelm me, there would be no photos at all! I was there, I could take the photos. So I did, to the best of my ability. And even though they’re not perfect, I think they are pretty beautiful.

For now, I’m gonna keep faking it. Maybe some day I’ll “make it” and maybe I won’t, but I know if I give up, I’ll never get anywhere. I’d rather be a faker whose trying, than the real deal on the sidelines.

Crazybananas Vlog – Blogger Burnout

October 20, 2014/2 Comments/in bloglife, Videos /by Megan

It may have taken a little time, but the second Crazybananas Vlog is here! Hooray! Today I’m talking all about Blogger Burnout, a topic I know very well. I have been blogging for 10 years, and like everything in life, my blogging has gone in cycles. At one point I was posting daily, now it’s more like once a week. I used to use editorial calendars and did lots of sponsored posts, now blogging is more organic for me.

How do you avoid blogger burnout? If you’re a creative person, how do you get over that horrible mind block? Please leave your advice and questions in the comments. I’d LOVE to hear them!

Where Are My Favorite Facebook Posts?

September 29, 2014/0 Comments/in bloglife /by Megan

A few weeks ago a friend and I were chatting and she mentioned she’d missed seeing my Crazybananas Fan Page updates on Facebook. Well, imagine my surprise, because I have been posting to Facebook more often then this here blog. Whoops. But somehow she hadn’t seen any of it, which is a huge bummer because I’m super-hilarious on Facebook. Trust me!

Well, as Facebook tends to do, it has changed up it’s algorithm so the only way you’ll see posts from your favorite fan pages in your newsfeed is if you interact with those posts (meaning liking or commenting). Unfortunately, unless you’re consistently interacting, the posts are removed from your newsfeed. They are still out there, but you won’t see them. Boo! The whole thing is dumb because if you can’t see the posts to begin with, you aren’t able to click on them, therefore you’ll be even less likely to see them. The algorithm works great for giant fan pages with thousands or millions of followers, but for little ole’ pages like mine, it’s bad news bears. We get lost in the shuffle.

But there is a SOLUTION! Yay! If there is a page you’ve been missing out on, go ahead and click on the direct link to their Facebook page (click here for the Crazybananas page), and then click on the the button where you “Like” the page. There will be a drop down menu where you can click “Get Notifications.” Click it!

Now your favorite fan pages’ updates will show up in your notifications tab, the same place where you get updates when someone comments on a photo or post of your own. You’re welcome!

Crazybananas…solving the world’s problems one Facebook glitch at a time.

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